Subwavelength Hyperlens Resolution With Perfect Contrast Function

Recently it has been shown that plasmonic effects in hyperbolic metamaterials may facilitate overcoming the diffraction limit and enhance the contrast function of an image by filtering background radiation. Unfortunately, the contrast function of such a dark‐field hyperlens degrades in the deep‐subw...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annalen der Physik 2018-03, Vol.530 (3), p.n/a
Main Authors: Novitsky, Andrey, Repän, Taavi, Zhukovsky, Sergei V., Lavrinenko, Andrei V.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Background radiation
Filtration
hyperlens
Image contrast
Image enhancement
Image filters
Incident light
Metamaterials
superresolution
Wave propagation
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Summary:Recently it has been shown that plasmonic effects in hyperbolic metamaterials may facilitate overcoming the diffraction limit and enhance the contrast function of an image by filtering background radiation. Unfortunately, the contrast function of such a dark‐field hyperlens degrades in the deep‐subwavelength regime. We push forward the concept of the contrast function revival in the subwavelength imaging by introduction of the proper phase difference between coherent sources. To study this effect we develop a simplified theory of the wave propagation through a hyperbolic metamaterial and show that, in principle, two sources standing apart at any subwavelength distance can be distinguished. We suggest two feasible designs, the first of which employs the obliquely incident light, while the second one is based on a properly designed metasurface. The concept can be used in high‐contrast subwavelength microscopy. Two objects placed at any subwavelength distance can be distinguished at the image plane, if their radiation is coherent and carries appropriately engineered phases. Such an improvement of the contrast function can be achieved for planar and cylindrical dark‐field hyperlenses and experimentally realized using the obliquely incident plane waves.
ISSN:0003-3804
1521-3889
DOI:10.1002/andp.201700300