Experimental study of the sub-wavelength imaging by a wire medium slab

TL;DR

This paper experimentally investigates sub-wavelength imaging using a wire medium slab, demonstrating a bandwidth of 4.5% with a/15 resolution, consistent with theoretical predictions, and highlighting the influence of source configuration on operational bandwidth.

Contribution

It provides the first experimental validation of sub-wavelength imaging capabilities of wire medium slabs, confirming theoretical bandwidth limits and source shape independence.

Findings

Bandwidth of 4.5% matches theoretical predictions

Achieves a/15 resolution regardless of source shape

Operational bandwidth varies with source configuration

Abstract

An experimental investigation of sub-wavelength imaging by a wire medium slab is performed. A complex-shaped near field source is used in order to test imaging performance of the device. It is demonstrated that the ultimate bandwidth of operation of the constructed imaging device is 4.5% that coincides with theoretical predictions [Phys. Rev. E 73, 056607 (2006)]. Within this band the wire medium slab is capable of transmitting images with \lambda/15 resolution irrespectively of the shape and complexity of the source. Actual bandwidth of operation for particular near-field sources can be larger than the ultimate value but it strongly depends on the configuration of the source.