《Theory of the perfect lens》.pdf

PHYSICAL REVIEW B 84, 045427 (2011) Theory of the perfect lens Xuhuai Zhang1 and Stephen R. Forrest1,2 1Department of Physics and Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1040, USA 2Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2122, USA (Received 19 February 2011; revised manuscript received 6 April 2011; published 13 July 2011) We design a model negative index metamaterial (NIM) based on Mie resonances in cylinders with positive permittivity (ε) and permeability (μ). In the effective medium theory (EMT) the composite is a homogeneous material with ε = μ = −1. Transmission of plane waves through a flat lens composed of the NIM is calculated using both EMT and a microscopic model that preserves the NIM’s internal structure and is further used to predict the image profile of a point-light source. By comparing both results with fully vectorial simulations, we find that EMT significantly overestimates the range of evanescent waves that can be recovered by the NIM because of neglect of its microstructure. We discuss the implications of this result in constructing a perfect lens and on our understanding of artificially engineered metamaterials. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.84.045427 PACS number(s): 81.05.Xj, 78.67.Pt, 42.70.Qs, 42.15.Eq I. INTRODUCTION would not allow focusing.10 The resolutions demonstrated by 1 these experimen