The use of Weak Measurements to detect deviations from Geometrical Optics (Prof. Gabriel Gulak Maia, Unicamp, Campinas, Brasil)

The use of Weak Measurements to detect deviations from Geometrical Optics

The geometrical interpretation of Optics is only a fit description of
nature when light is modelled by plane waves. In localised models such as
laser beams, small deviations occur: the Fresnel Filtering effect and the
angular and lateral Goos-Hänchen shifts, for instance. These corrections
are, however, very small in nature and of difficult detection. To approach
this problem we present the Weak Measurement Theory applied to Optics as a
tool to enhance and detect small signal phenomena. Deviations for gaussian
lasers propagating inside a triangular dielectric prism are considered and
a comparative analysis of weak measurements versus direct measurements for
incidence angles ranging from the Brewster to the critical angles are
presented.