TOTAL

INTERNAL
REFLECTION
 CONTENTS

I. Introduction
II. Optical description
III. Critical angle
IV. Phase shift upon total internal
reflection
V. Total internal reflection in diamond
VI. Applications of total internal
reflection
VII. Examples in everyday life

Bibliography
 INTRODUCTION

Total internal reflection is an optical phenomenon that happens

when a ray of light strikes a medium boundary at an angle larger
than a particular critical angle with respect to the normal to the
surface. If the refractive index is lower on the other side of the
boundary and the incident angle is greater than the critical angle,
no light can pass through and all of the light is reflected. The
critical angle is the angle of incidence above which the total
internal reflectance occurs.
When a light beam crosses a boundary between materials with
different kinds of refractive indices, the light beam will be partially
refracted at the boundary surface, and partially reflected.
However, if the angle of incidence is greater (i.e. the ray is closer
to being parallel to the boundary) than the critical angle – the
angle of incidence at which light is refracted such that it travels
along the boundary – then the light will stop crossing the
boundary altogether and instead be totally reflected back
internally. This can only occur where light travels from a medium
with a higher [n1=higher refractive index] to one with a lower
refractive index [n2=lower refractive index]. For example, it will
occur when passing from glass to air, but not when passing from
air to glass.
 OPTICAL DESCRIPTION

Total internal reflection can be demonstrated using a semi-circular

block of glass or plastic. A "ray box" shines a narrow beam of light (a
"ray") onto the glass. The semi-circular shape ensures that a ray
pointing towards the centre of the flat face will hit the curved surface
at a right angle; this will prevent refraction at the air/glass boundary of
the curved surface. At the glass/air boundary of the flat surface, what
happens will depend on the angle? Where is θC the critical angle
measurement which is caused by the sun or a light source (measured
normal to the surface):

• If θ < θC, the ray will split. Some of the ray will reflect off the
boundary, and some will refract as it passes through. This is not total
internal reflection.

• If θ > θC, the entire ray reflects from the boundary. None passes
through. This is called total internal reflection.

This physical property makes optical fibres useful and prismatic

binoculars possible. It is also what gives diamonds their distinctive
sparkle, as diamond has an unusually high refractive index.
 CRITICAL ANGLE
The critical angle is the angle of incidence above which total
internal reflection occurs. The angle of incidence is measured with
respect to the normal at the refractive boundary (see diagram
illustrating Snell's law). Consider a light ray passing from glass into
air. The light emanating from the interface is bent towards the
glass. When the incident angle is increased sufficiently, the
transmitted angle (in air) reaches 90 degrees. It is at this point no
light is transmitted into air. The critical angle is given by Snell's
law.
𝑛1 sin 𝜃𝑖 = 𝑛2 sin 𝜃𝑡

Rearranging Snell's Law, we get incidence

𝑛2
sin 𝜃𝑖 = sin 𝜃𝑡
𝑛1

To find the critical angle, we find the value for 𝜃𝑖

when 𝜃𝑡 = 90° and thus sin 𝜃𝑡 = 1 .The resulting value of is
equal to the critical angle 𝜃𝑐 .
Now, we can solve for 𝜃𝑖 , and we get the equation for the critical
angle:
𝑛2
𝜃𝑐 = 𝜃𝑖 = sin−1 ( )
𝑛1
If the incident ray is precisely at the critical angle, the refracted
ray is tangent to the boundary at the point of incidence. If for
example, visible light were travelling through acrylic glass (with an
index of refraction of 1.50) into air (with an index of refraction of
1.00), the calculation would give the critical angle for light from
acrylic into air, which is

1.00
𝜃𝑐 = sin−1 ( ) = 41.8
1.50
PHASE SHIFT UPON TOTAL
INTERNAL REFLECTION

A lesser-known aspect of total internal reflection is that the

reflected light has an angle dependent phase shift between the
reflected and incident light. Mathematically this means that the
Fresnel reflection coefficient becomes a complex rather than a
real number. This phase shift is polarization dependent and grows
as the incidence angle deviates further from the critical angle
toward grazing incidence.
The polarization dependent phase shift is long known and was
used by Fresnel to design the Fresnel rhomb which allows
transforming circular polarization to linear polarization and vice
versa for a wide range of wavelengths (colours), in contrast to the
quarter wave plate. The polarization dependent phase shift is also
the reason why TE and TM guided modes have different
dispersion relations.
 TOTAL INTERNAL
REFLECTION IN DIAMOND
From glass to air the critical angle is about 42o but it varies from
one medium to another. The material that gives the smallest
critical angle is diamond. That is why they sparkle so much! Rays
of light can easily be made to 'bounce around inside them' by
careful cutting of the stone and the refraction at the surfaces
splits the light into a spectrum of colours!
Relatively speaking, the critical angle 24.4o for the diamond-air
boundary is extremely small. This property of the diamond-air
boundary plays an important role in the brilliance of a diamond
gemstone. Having a small critical angle, light has the tendency to
become "trapped" inside of a diamond once it enters. Most rays
approach the diamond at angles of incidence greater than the
critical angle (as it is so small) so a light ray will typically undergo
TIR several times before finally refracting out of the diamond. This
gives diamond a tendency to sparkle. The effect can be enhanced
by the cutting of a diamond gemstone with a 'strategically'
planned shape. The diagram to the left depicts the total internal
reflection within a diamond gemstone with a 'strategic' and a
'non-strategic' cut.
 APPLICATIONS OF TOTAL
INTERNAL REFLECTION

 Total internal reflection is the operating principle of optical

fibres, which are used in endoscopes and
telecommunications.
 Total internal reflection is the operating principle of
automotive rain sensors, which control automatic
windscreen/windshield wipers.
 Another application of total internal reflection is the spatial
filtering of light.
 Prismatic binoculars use the principle of total internal
reflections to get a very clear image.
 Gonioscopy employs total internal reflection to view the
anatomical angle formed between the eye's cornea and iris.
 Optical fingerprinting devices use frustrated total internal
reflection in order to record an image of a person's
fingerprint without the use of ink.
 A Total internal reflection fluorescence microscope uses the
evanescent wave produced by TIR to excite fluorophores
close to a surface. This is useful for the study of surface
properties of biological samples.
 EXAMPLES IN EVERYDAY
LIFE

Total internal reflection can be observed while swimming, when one

opens one's eyes just under the water's surface. If the water is calm, its
surface appears mirror-like.

One can demonstrate total internal reflection by filling a sink or bath

with water, taking a glass tumbler, and placing it upside-down over the
plug hole (with the tumbler completely filled with water). While water
remains both in the upturned tumbler and in the sink surrounding it,
the plug hole and plug are visible since the angle of refraction between
glass and water is not greater than the critical angle. If the drain is
opened and the tumbler is kept in position over the hole, the water in
the tumbler drains out leaving the glass filled with air, and this then
acts as the plug. Viewing this from above, the tumbler now appears
mirrored because light reflects off the air/glass interface.

This is different phenomenon from reflection and refraction. Reflection

occurs when light goes back in same medium. Refraction occurs when
light travels from different mediums. Here both are not happening. This
is due to both and a mixture of both.

Another common example of total internal reflection is a critically cut

diamond. This is what gives it maximum spark
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Following Books were a source for my project.

 NCERT Physics Textbook for class 12

 Feynman Lectures on Physics
 Robert Ehrlich, “Why toast lands jelly-side down: Zen and the
art of physics demonstrations”.