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Updated: Mar 19, 2026

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets

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Published on: May 15, 2017

Surface orientation ambiguity for single molecules at dielectric interfaces.

E Dey, M Elorza, F W Foss

Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics, Image Science, and Vision

|March 17, 2026

Summary

Defocus fluorescence microscopy can determine molecule orientation, but surface proximity causes measurement errors. New finite-element modeling corrects these errors for accurate orientation determination near interfaces.

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Last Updated: Mar 19, 2026

Orientational Transition in a Liquid Crystal Triggered by the Thermodynamic Growth of Interfacial Wetting Sheets

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Surface Properties of Synthesized Nanoporous Carbon and Silica Matrices

Surface Properties of Synthesized Nanoporous Carbon and Silica Matrices

Published on: March 27, 2019

Area of Science:

Optical Biophysics
Surface Science
Computational Modeling

Background:

Fluorescent molecules emit light in a dipole radiation pattern.
Defocused fluorescence microscopy infers molecular orientation from this pattern.
Accurate orientation measurement relies on precise mathematical modeling.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify and address an ambiguity in common calculations of dipole radiation patterns.
To investigate the impact of dielectric surfaces on measured molecular orientation.
To provide a method for correcting orientation measurements for molecules near interfaces.

Main Methods:

Analysis of mathematical models for dipole radiation patterns near dielectric surfaces.
Comparison of theoretical predictions with experimental data.
Application of finite-element modeling to simulate on-surface emitters between dielectric media.

Main Results:

An ambiguity in standard calculations leads to erroneous dipole rotation towards dielectric surfaces.
This rotation can be misinterpreted as preferential horizontal molecular orientation.
Finite-element modeling successfully resolves the theoretical ambiguity.

Conclusions:

Common orientation calculations are compromised for molecules near dielectric interfaces.
A new theoretical treatment considering finite current elements is required.
A prescription for correcting measured orientations at arbitrary interfaces is provided.