Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T20:47:26.719Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Improved Analytical Models for Single- and Multi-layer Silver Superlenses

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Ciaran P Moore
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Canterbury, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Christchurch, New Zealand
Richard John Blaikie
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Canterbury, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Christchurch, New Zealand
Matthew D Arnold
Affiliation:
[email protected], University of Technology Sydney, Department of Physics and Advanced Materials, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Get access

Abstract

Spatial-frequency transfer functions are regularly used to model the imaging performance of near-field �superlens� systems. However, these do not account for interactions between the object that is being imaged and the superlens itself. As the imaging in these systems is in the near field, such interactions are important to consider if accurate performance estimates are to be obtained. We present here a simple analytical modification that can be made to the transfer function to account for near-field interactions for objects consisting of small apertures in otherwise-continuous metal screens. The modified transfer functions are evaluated by comparison with full-field finite-element simulations for representative single-layer and multi-layer silver superlenses, and good agreement is found.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1 Betzig, E., et al. (1991) ‘Breaking the diffraction barrier - optical microscopy on a nanometric scale’, Science, 251, 14681470.Google Scholar
2 Alkaisi, M.M., Blaikie, R.J., McNab, S.J., Cheung, R. and Cumming, D.R.S.Subdiffraction-limited patterning using evanescent near field optical lithography”. Appl. Phys. Lett. 75, 35603562 (1999).Google Scholar
3 Pendry, J. B., “Negative refraction makes a perfect lens,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 3966 (2000).Google Scholar
4 Melville, D.O.S. and Blaikie, R.J. (2005) ‘Super-resolution imaging through a planar silver layer’, Opt. Express, 13, 21272134.Google Scholar
5 Fang, N., Lee, H., Sun, C., and Zhang, X. (2005) ‘Sub-diffraction-limited optical imaging with a silver superlens’, Science, 308, 534537.Google Scholar
6 Luo, C., Johnson, S. G., Joannopoulos, J. D., Phys. Rev. B 68 (2003) 045115.Google Scholar
7 Smith, D. R., Schurig, D., Rosenbluth, M., Schultz, S., Ramakrishna, S. A., Pendry, J. B., Appl. Phys. Lett. 82 (2003) 15061508.Google Scholar
8 Ramakrishna, S. A., Rep. Prog. Phys. 68 (2005) 449521.Google Scholar
9 Melville, D. O. S., Blaikie, R. J., Physica B 394 (2007) 197202.Google Scholar
10 Moore, C.M., Arnold, M.D., Bones, P.J. and Blaikie, R.J.Image fidelity for single- and multi-layer silver superlenses”, J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 25, 911918 (2008).Google Scholar
11 Veselago, V. G., “The electrodynamics of substances with simultaneously negative values of ε and μ,Soviet Physics Uspekhi, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 509514, 1968.Google Scholar
12 Johnson, P.B. and Christy, R.W. (1972) ‘Optical-constants of noble-metals’, Phys. Rev. B, Vol. 6, No. 12, pp. 43704379.Google Scholar
13 Lide, D. R., The CRC handbook of chemistry and physics, 88th ed. CRC Press, 2008.Google Scholar
14COMSOL is a registered trademark of COMSOL AB, © 1997-2009.Google Scholar