Free-space carpet-cloak based on gradient index photonic crystals in metamaterial regime

A free-space broadband carpet-cloak, designed based on transformations optics and quasi-conformal mapping, was realized with all-dielectric gradient index rod-connected diamond-structured photonic crystals (PCs) in metamaterial regime. Complex three-dimensional sample with smooth continuous changing unit cells was fabricated precisely by stereolithography (SL) using photo-curable resin. Thus, by gradually varying the unit cell constitutive parameters of the diamond-based PCs with nearly isotropic properties, the required complex spatial distribution of the refractive index profile was ideally achieved to reduce the scattering of the electromagnetic wave. The non-resonant property of the sub-wavelength PCs unit cell resulted in broad bandwidth and relatively low loss. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3696040]