Transparency and super-resolution in metal-dielectric layered structures

Rafal Kotynski

doi:10.1117/12.882139

14 December 2010 Transparency and super-resolution in metal-dielectric layered structures

Rafal Kotynski

Proceedings Volume 7746, 17th Slovak-Czech-Polish Optical Conference on Wave and Quantum Aspects of Contemporary Optics; 774605 (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.882139
Event: 17th Slovak-Czech-Polish Optical Conference on Wave and Quantum Aspects of Contemporary Optics, 2010, Liptovsky Jan, Slovakia

Abstract

A carefully designed metal-dielectric periodic stack forms a simple optical metamaterial with small losses and super-resolving properties for imaging between its external boundaries in the near-UV or visible wavelength range. The effective penetration depth reaches the order of one micrometer with the resolution even tenfold better than predicted by the Rayleigh criterion in air. Therefore the stack may be seen as a transparent and super-resolving metamaterial. Depending on the strength of Fabry-Perot resonances it may either support standing-wave internal field distributions or allow for approximately diffraction-free propagation not limited to any specific beam profiles. The latter case enables to design shaped elements such as prisms, or elements of optical cloaks which retain the same diffraction-free properties. Here an overview of the physical models which explain the super-resolution is presented - in particular with reference to the effective medium theory. The numerical simulations are based on the transfer matrix method. A discussion on the analogies between subwavelenegth imaging with metal-dielectric multilayers and isoplanatic imaging systems considered in the past within the framework Fourier Optics is included.

Citation Download Citation

Rafal Kotynski "Transparency and super-resolution in metal-dielectric layered structures", Proc. SPIE 7746, 17th Slovak-Czech-Polish Optical Conference on Wave and Quantum Aspects of Contemporary Optics, 774605 (14 December 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.882139

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available