Frustrated total internal reflection

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Revision as of 11:34, 31 October 2021 by imported>Mark Widmer (Minor rewording to better explain typical total internal reflection.)
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Frustrated total internal reflection, or FTIR, is a phenomenon that occurs when electromagnetic waves reflected within an optical medium (with a lower index of refraction) are interrupted in their internal reflection by an object with a higher refractive index.

In a typical optical system, total internal reflection occurs when a light ray inside a higher-index medium reflects completely at a boundary between the medium and a second, lower-index medium.

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