Applied Optics
Weak value amplification of an off-resonance Goos–Hänchen shift in a Kretschmann–Raether surface plasmon resonance device
Allen Parks, Scott E. Spence
Abstract
During the past two decades there has been increased interest in the optical excitation of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) at a metal-dielectric interface. This is due in large part to its potential applications in such areas as medical diagnostics and pharmaceutical research. Also occurring during this time has been a growing recognition by the quantum physics community that weak value amplification (WVA) can serve as a valuable metrological research resource. Recently WVA has been used to amplify very small optical Goos-Hänchen (GH) shifts in glass and it has also been shown that SPR can greatly enhance optical GH shifts at the metal/air interface in Kretschmann-Raether (KR) devices. This paper demonstrates experimentally the WVA of an off-resonance GH shift in a KR device and explains why WVA of sufficiently SPR enhanced optical GH shifts cannot be achieved.