Three-dimensional superresolution in metamaterial slab lenses: Experiment and theory

Abstract

This paper presents a theoretical and experimental study on the viability of obtaining two- and three-dimensional superresolution (i.e., resolution overcoming the diffraction limit for all directions in space) by means of metamaterial slab lenses. Although the source field cannot be actually reproduced at the back side of the lens with superresolution in all space directions, the matching capabilities of metamaterial slabs does make possible the detection of images with three-dimensional superresolution. This imaging takes place because of the coupling between the evanescent space harmonic components of the field generated at both the source and the detector.