Open AccessSuperfocusing of light below the diffraction limit by photonic crystals with negative refraction
Author(s) -
Anton Husakou,
Joachim Herrmann
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/opex.12.006491
Subject(s) - optics , diffraction , photonic crystal , negative refraction , light beam , wavelength , superlens , electron beam lithography , lithography , materials science , photonics , optoelectronics , physics , metamaterial , resist , nanotechnology , layer (electronics)
Usual optical elements cannot focus a light beam to a spot with diameter smaller than half of the wavelength of the light; however overcoming this limit is of great importance in several applications in high-tech, such as optical lithography or magneto-optical date storage and numerous other fields of science and industry. Here we show that it is possible to focus light to spots below the diffraction limit (superfocusing) by the combination of two main elements: one which creates weak near-field evanescent components of the beam, like a wavelength-scale aperture, and an amplifier of these evanescent fields, like a slab of a photonic crystal with negative refraction.