Are Fresnel filtering and the angular Goos-H\"anchen shift the same?

Abstract

The law of reflection and Snell's law are among the tenets of geometrical optics. Corrections to these laws in wave optics are respectively known as the angular Goos-H\"anchen shift and Fresnel filtering. In this paper we give a positive answer to the question of whether the two effects are common in nature and we study both effects in the more general context of optical beam shifts. We find that both effects are caused by the same principle, but have been defined differently. We identify and discuss the similarities and differences that arise from the different definitions.