Abstract
If surface topography is examined by frustrated total internal reflection, light leaves the object plane in a direction displaced from the normal by at least the critical angle. If the optical system is arranged with its axis parallel to the emerging light, there will be distortion and tilting of the Guassian image plane. These disappear if the axis of the optical system is made normal to the object plane, but the system must then deal with light entering it at greater than the critical angle. A microscope objective can do this if its numerical aperture exceeds 1. A device has been designed to adapt a conventional microscope for the study of topography, both by frustrated internal reflection and interference. Low magnification systems for use with frustrated internal reflection are also discussed.

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