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Focusing Light into Deep Subwavelength by a Phase Compensation Metalens

Detailed Technology Description

UC San Diego researchers have developed a new type of metamaterial-based optical lens that achieves super-resolution focusing through phase compensation and exhibits the basic properties of a conventional optical lens. This “metalens” is comprised of a nonperiodic plasmonic waveguide coupler and a metamaterial slab. Simulations were carried out for a wavelength of 365 nm to verify the metalens concept, proving that the metalens has Fourier transform, deep subwavelength focusing, and imaging capabilities. The potential for super resolution in conjunction with the Fourier transform ability suggest applications in nanoscale imaging, sensing and fabrication, as well as miniaturized devices for optical data processing.

Supplementary Information

Patent Number: US20120328240A1
Application Number: US13578665A
Inventor: Ma, Changbao | Liu, Zhaowei
Priority Date: 12 Feb 2010
Priority Number: US20120328240A1
Application Date: 13 Sep 2012
Publication Date: 27 Dec 2012
IPC Current: G02B000300 | G02B000632
US Class: 385033 | 359642
Assignee Applicant: The Regents of the University of California
Title: METAMATERIAL-BASED OPTICAL LENSES
Usefulness: METAMATERIAL-BASED OPTICAL LENSES
Summary: The optical lens can be used in devices for electromagnetic radiation and acoustic waves.
Novelty: Optical lens based on an optical metamaterial structure comprises optical metamaterial structure comprising nanostructures of metallic and dielectric materials and a plasmonic waveguide coupler formed over the optical metamaterial structure

Industry

Biomedical

Sub Category

Medical Imaging

Application No.

9151891

Others

Related Materials

“A Super Resolution Metalens with Phase Compensation Mechanism,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 183103 (2010).

Tech ID/UC Case

21251/2010-156-0

Related Cases

2010-156-0, 2009-342-1, 2009-342-2

*Abstract

The imaging resolution of conventional lenses is fundamentally limited by diffraction to approximately half of the working wavelength. Artificially engineered metamaterials offer the possibility of building a “superlens” that overcomes this limit. A single-slab superlens is capable of projecting a sub-diffraction-limited image only in the near field, as the evanescent waves decay away from such a lens. A far-field superlens that has periodic nanoscale corrugations on its top surface enhances the evanescent waves and converts them into propagating waves and can thus project a sub-diffraction-resolution image into the far field. However, such superlenses cannot bring a plane wave into focus or provide magnification due to the lack of a phase compensation mechanism.

*IP Issue Date

Oct 6, 2015

*Principal Investigator

Name: Changbao Ma

Department:

Name: Zhaowei Liu

Department:

Country/Region

USA