Designing super-resolution metalenses by the combination of metamaterials and nanoscale plasmonic waveguide couplers

We recently demonstrated a phase compensated metalens that cannot only achieve super-resolution, but also possesses the Fourier transform capability. The metalens consists of a metamaterial slab and a plasmonic waveguide coupler (PWC). We have now ascertained the requirements for the metamaterial and the detailed design principles for the PWCs. Simulations of metalenses with a new type of PWC geometry have confirmed that the new metalenses also possess super-resolution and the Fourier transform function. The hyperbolic metalens shows an anomalous focus shifting behavior, which may be used to design exotic optical systems with new functionalities. (C) 2011 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). [DOI: 10.1117/1.3579159]