A general overview of slow light waveguide structures made of negative metamaterials is presented. We discuss the
conditions and the parameter space to achieve zero total energy flow and zero group velocity due to the degeneracy of
forward and backward waves in waveguides cladded with single negative metamaterials. Absorptive loss plays a
severely limiting role and can prevent achieving the zero group velocity condition. Gain can be introduced either in
dielectric or negative metamaterials to restore the zero group velocity condition. This type of slow light waveguide has a
large delay bandwidth product and is suitable for use in integrated optoelectronic circuits.
KEYWORDS: Super resolution, Metamaterials, Gold, Optical transfer functions, Near field scanning optical microscopy, Image resolution, Diffraction, Microscopes, Infrared cameras, Nanowires
Super-resolution imaging using a three-dimensional metamaterials nanolens has been recently reported [B. D. F.
Casse et al. Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 023114 (2010)]. This nanolens, consisting of bulk gold nanowires embedded
in alumina template, can transport with low-loss object details down to λ/4 (λ, wavelength) length scales, over
significant distances of the order of 6λ. Here, we present validation of the super-resolution imaging by the nanolens
through extensive control experiments. We also analytically show that the nanowire array medium supports a
quasi transverse electromagnetic mode (TEM) with flat isofrequency contours, which is a requirement for super-resolution
imaging. We numerically compute the optical transfer function to quantify the imaging quality of
the lens and show that the theoretical resolution of this nanolens is λ/5. Additionally, we demonstrate the
broadband nature of the lens in the spectral region 1510 nm to 1580 nm. Finally, imaging of a large object
(~ 52λ in diameter), with subwavelength features, is presented.
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