Using conventional materials, the resolution of focusing and imaging devices is limited by diffraction to about half the wavelength of light, as high spatial frequencies do not propagate in isotropic materials. Wire array metamaterials, because of their extreme anisotropy, can beat this limit; however, focusing with these has only been demonstrated up to microwave frequencies and using propagation over a few wavelengths only. Here we show that the principle can be scaled to frequencies orders of magnitudes higher and to considerably longer propagation lengths. We demonstrate imaging through straight and tapered wire arrays operating in the terahertz spectrum, with unprecedented propagation of near field information over hundreds of wavelengths and focusing down to 1/28 of the wavelength with a net increase in power density. Applications could include in vivo terahertz-endoscopes with resolution compatible with imaging individual cells.

The influences of substrate and metal properties on the magnetic response of metamaterials at terahertz region J. Appl. Phys.Electromagnetic metamaterials attract much attention since they can be engineered to exhibit optical properties not found in nature. Their fabrication, however, is challenging, especially in volume. We introduce drawing as a means of fabricating metamaterials, thus demonstrating a terahertz metamaterial. We codraw polymethyl-methacrylate and indium, producing several meters of metamaterial with wire diameters down to ϳ10 m, and lattice constants of ϳ100 m. We experimentally characterize the transmission properties of different samples, observing high-pass filtering between 0.3-0.4 THz, in good agreement with simulations.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract