| By means of an impedance boundary condition and numerical solution of integral equations for the scattering amplitudes to which its use gives rise, we study as a function of its angle of incidence the reflection of a surface plasmon polariton beam propagating on a metal surface whose dielectric function is ɛ 1(ω) when it is incident on a planar interface with a coplanar metal surface whose dielectric function is ɛ 2(ω). When the surface of incidence is optically more dense than the surface of scattering, i.e. when |
ɛ 2(ω) |
≫ |
ɛ 1(ω) |
, the reflected beam undergoes a lateral displacement whose magnitude is several times the wavelength of the incident beam. This displacement is the surface plasmon polariton analogue of the Goos-Hänchen effect. Since this displacement is sensitive to the dielectric properties of the surface, this effect can be exploited to sense modifications of the dielectric environment of a metal surface, e.g. due to adsorption of atomic or molecular layers on it. |