Complex conductivity dependent Goos–Hanchen shifts through metallic surface

Abstract

We investigate complex conductivity dependent tiny lateral Goos–Hanchen shifts in a four-level conductive medium. The joint combination of density matrix formalism and Maxwell’s equations are exploited to derive formula for the conductivity dependent Goos–Hanchen shift. Eight types of phase refractive indices are noted which are associated to reflection, transmission and their corresponding Goos–Hanchen shifts for a single plane incident wave. We observe strong dependency of the Goos–Hanchen shifts on complex conductivity and the incident angle. Positive and negative shifts in reflected and transmitted beams are investigated with forward and backward currents and a maximum of ±4 λ lateral shift is noted with complex conductivity. The results achieved may show significant applications in nano-processor technology and conductive sensor devices.