Molding the flow of light at deep sub-wavelength scale

Abstract

The diffractive nature of light has limited optics and photonics to operate at scales much larger than the wavelength of light. The major challenge in scaling-down integrated photonics is how to mold the light flow below diffraction-limit in all three dimensions. A high index solid immersion lens can improve the spatial resolution by increasing the medium refractive index, but only to few times higher than in air. Photonic crystals can guide light in three dimensions, however, the guided beam width is around a wavelength. Surface plasmons has a potential to reach the sub-wavelength scales; nevertheless, it is confined in the two-dimensional interface between metals and dielectrics. Here, we present a new approach for molding the light flow at the deep sub-wavelength scale, using metamaterials with uniquely designed dispersion. We develop a design methodology for realizing sub-wavelength ray optics, and demonstrate lambda/10 width light beams flow through three-dimensional space.