Simple technique for measuring the Goos-Hanchen effect with polarization modulation and a position-sensitive detector

An original approach to directly measuring the Goos-Hanchen longitudinal shift between TE and TM polarization states during a total internal reflection is introduced. The technique is based on the modulation of the polarization state of a laser by an electro-optic modulator combined with a precise measurement of the resulting spatial displacement with a position-sensitive detector. This method presents many advantages over other techniques and allows measurements at different wavelengths over a broad range for the incident angle. (C) 2002 Optical Society of America.