Far-field imaging beyond diffraction limit using single sensor in combination with a resonant aperture

Far-field imaging beyond the diffraction limit is a long sought-after goal in various imaging applications, which requires usually mechanical scanning or an array of antennas. Here, we propose to solve this challenging problem using a single sensor in combination with a spatio-temporal resonant aperture antenna. We theoretically and numerically demonstrate that such resonant aperture antenna is capable of converting part evanescent waves into propagating waves and delivering them to far fields. The proposed imaging concept provides the unique ability to achieve super resolution for real-time data when illuminated by broadband electromagnetic waves, without the harsh requirements such as near-field scanning, mechanical scanning, or antenna arrays. We expect the imaging methodology to make breakthroughs in super-resolution imaging in microwave, terahertz, optical, and ultrasound regimes. (C) 2015 Optical Society of America