Far-field subdiffraction optical microscopy using metamaterial crystals: Theory and simulations

Here we suggest and explore theoretically an idea for a far-field scanless optical microscopy with a subdiffraction resolution. We exploit the special dispersion characteristics of an anisotropic metamaterial crystal that is obliquely cut at its output plane, or has a curved output surface, in order to map the input field distribution onto the crystal’s output surface with a compressed angular spectrum, resulting in a "magnified" image. This can provide a far-field imaging system with a resolution beyond the diffraction limits while no scanning is needed. Disciplines Electrical and Computer Engineering Comments Copyright American Physical Society> Reprinted from Physical Review B, Volume 74, Issue 7, Article 075103, August 2006, 5 pages. Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.74.075103 This journal article is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/ese_papers/204 Far-field subdiffraction optical microscopy using metamaterial crystals: Theory and simulations Alessandro Salandrino and Nader Engheta* Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA Received 26 May 2006; published 15 August 2006 Here we suggest and explore theoretically an idea for a far-field scanless optical microscopy with a subdiffraction resolution. We exploit the special dispersion characteristics of an anisotropic metamaterial crystal that is obliquely cut at its output plane, or has a curved output surface, in order to map the input field distribution onto the crystal’s output surface with a compressed angular spectrum, resulting in a “magnified” image. This can provide a far-field imaging system with a resolution beyond the diffraction limits while no scanning is