The use of the stationary phase method as a mathematical tool to determine the path of optical beams

Abstract

We use the stationary phase method to determine the paths of optical beams that propagate through a dielectric block. In the presence of partial internal reflection, we recover the geometrical result obtained by using Snell's law. For total internal reflection, the stationary phase method overreaches Snell's law, predicting the Goos-Hänchen shift.