Broadband subwavelength imaging using non-resonant metamaterials

Previous subwavelength imaging using hyperlens is based on negative constitutive parameters that are realized by strongly dispersive materials and work only in a narrow frequency band. Here, we demonstrated that subwavelength imaging can be achieved in a broad frequency band using non-resonant magnetic metamaterials. The metamaterial shows an elliptical dispersion relation and can be fabricated by metallic closed-rings with a broadband magnetic response. With this elliptically dispersive material, most of the evanescent waves with high-k modes can be converted to propagating modes and the subwavelength information is reconstructed. Both simulation and experiment results show that this kind of metalens can achieve a broadband subwavelength imaging effect.

[1]  Zhaowei Liu,et al.  Far-Field Optical Hyperlens Magnifying Sub-Diffraction-Limited Objects , 2007, Science.

[2]  G. Shvets,et al.  Near-Field Microscopy Through a SiC Superlens , 2006, Science.

[3]  Alessandro Salandrino,et al.  Far-field subdiffraction optical microscopy using metamaterial crystals: Theory and simulations , 2006 .

[4]  S. Hell,et al.  Breaking the diffraction resolution limit by stimulated emission: stimulated-emission-depletion fluorescence microscopy. , 1994, Optics letters.

[5]  Yi Xiong,et al.  Development of optical hyperlens for imaging below the diffraction limit. , 2007, Optics express.

[6]  N. Fang,et al.  Sub–Diffraction-Limited Optical Imaging with a Silver Superlens , 2005, Science.

[7]  E. Ash,et al.  Super-resolution Aperture Scanning Microscope , 1972, Nature.

[8]  I. Smolyaninov,et al.  Magnifying Superlens in the Visible Frequency Range , 2006, Science.

[9]  Z. Jacob,et al.  Optical Hyperlens: Far-field imaging beyond the diffraction limit. , 2006, Optics express.

[10]  Yi Xiong,et al.  Two-dimensional imaging by far-field superlens at visible wavelengths. , 2007, Nano letters.

[11]  Zhaowei Liu,et al.  Advances in the hyperlens , 2010 .

[12]  Zhaowei Liu,et al.  Spherical hyperlens for two-dimensional sub-diffractional imaging at visible frequencies. , 2010, Nature communications.

[13]  S. Hell.  Toward fluorescence nanoscopy , 2003, Nature Biotechnology.

[14]  Herbert O. Moser,et al.  Subwavelength imaging in a cylindrical hyperlens based on S-string resonators , 2011 .

[15]  Dylan Lu,et al.  Hyperlenses and metalenses for far-field super-resolution imaging , 2012, Nature Communications.

[16]  R. Blaikie,et al.  Super-resolution imaging through a planar silver layer. , 2005, Optics express.

[17]  E. Abbe.  Beiträge zur Theorie des Mikroskops und der mikroskopischen Wahrnehmung , 1873 .

[18]  V. Podolskiy,et al.  Near-sighted superlens. , 2004, Optics letters.

[19]  Xiangxiang Cheng,et al.  Magnetic Properties of Metamaterial Composed of Closed Rings , 2011 .

[20]  J. Pendry,et al.  Negative refraction makes a perfect lens , 2000, Physical review letters.

[21]  Yi Xiong,et al.  Far-field optical superlens. , 2007, Nano letters.