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Refractive index (RI) is a fundamental optical property that measures how much light is bent as it enters a material. It indicates the speed of light in a given medium compared to its speed in a vacuum. This property is determined by the material's optical density and molecular structure.
RI finds applications in various fields, including bioimaging, where its label-free and quantitative properties are particularly valuable. RI-based imaging techniques offer detailed insights into biological samples' structure and composition without the need for external labels or dyes. This makes them highly useful in biomedical research and diagnostics, providing high-resolution and sensitive imaging capabilities for studying cellular morphology, composition, and dynamics.