A recent experiment has shown us that the Goos-Hänchen shift is quantized, the eigen-functions being the transverse electric and magnetic modes. We give here a straightforward theory of this phenomenon, together with the prediction that our new transverse shift is also quantized, with the circularly polarized modes inside the evanescent wave as eigenfunctions. An experimental test of the latter point is being considered.

• Received 22 February 1972

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.28.1211