Recently, metamaterial cloaks for the microwave frequency range have been designed using transformative optics design techniques and experimentally demonstrated. The design of these structures requires extreme values of permittivity and permeability within the device, which has been accomplished by the use of resonating metal elements. However, these elements severely limit the operating frequency range of the cloak due to their non-ideal dispersion properties at optical frequencies. In this paper we present designs to implement a simpler demonstration of cloaking, the carpet cloak, in which a curved reflective surface is compressed into a flat reflective surface, effectively shielding objects behind the curve from view with respect to the incoming radiation source. This approach eliminates the need for metallic resonant elements. These structures can now be fabricated using only high index dielectric materials by the use of electron beam lithography and standard cleanroom technologies. The design method, simulation analysis, device fabrication, and near field optical microscopy (NSOM) characterization results are presented for devices designed to operate in the 1400-1600nm wavelength range. Improvements to device performance by the deposition/infiltration of linear, and potentially non-linear optical materials, were investigated.

Date Published: 10 September 2010
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 7756, Active Photonic Materials III, 775608 (10 September 2010); doi: 10.1117/12.861629

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7756:
Active Photonic Materials III
Ganapathi S. Subramania; Stavroula Foteinopoulou, Editor(s)