Negative Index Meta-Devices Imaging and Engineering Concerns

A Fourier spectrum theoretical model is applied to characterize the performance of a negative-index metamaterial slab. It is demonstrated that to provide a high-resolution imaging one needs to amplify the evanescent fields emanating from the source and at the same time tailor the phase of the propagating waves. Balancing these two important features will offer the high-performance imaging in the image plane. However, in reality a developed metamaterial is lossy and has dispersive material parameters. In addition, the size of the slab is finite in the transverse plane. Therefore, amplification of the evanescent waves and tailoring of the propagating waves may not be accomplished successfully. A Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) full-wave analysis is applied to demonstrate the performance of a Drude-permittivity/Lorentzian-permeability negative-index slab and highlight the physical limitations. The possibility of making focusing meta-devices utilizing coupled meta-surfaces is also addressed. 1