Role of the Lens Thickness and the Surface Termination in the Formation of Subwavelength Images by a Negative-Index Photonic-Crystal Slab

Abstract

A two-dimensional photonic-crystal engineered to possess a refractive index equal to minus one at a certain frequency is used as a flat superlens. Subwavelength imaging (image size below half a wavelength) is observed both in the near-field and far-field regimes when the interface with air is properly terminated to support surface states with even symmetry.