Goos–Hänchen effect enabled optical differential operation and image edge detection

The Goos–Hänchen effect has found many important applications in photonics and optoelectronics since its discovery in 1947. Here, we propose unique applications of the Goos–Hänchen effect in optical differential operation and image edge detection. This Letter describes the theoretical foundation and experimental realization of the proposed scheme. By incorporating with the microscopy technique, our scheme may find important applications in cell and molecular imaging.