Subwavelength imaging by a flat cylindrical lens using optimized negative refraction

We experimentally demonstrate subwavelength imaging by a “flat cylindrical” lens using negative refraction. A two-dimensional photonic crystal whose dispersion at the second band provides group velocity opposite to the phase velocity for electromagnetic waves is employed to realize the flat lens, and the working frequency is chosen so that the effective refractive index is approximately equal to −1.0. Experiment demonstrated the imaging of a point source in both amplitude and phase in the millimeter-wave regime. By measuring the field distributions in the object plane and image plane, we observed amplification of evanescent waves and subwavelength size image. The image of two incoherent sources with subwavelength distance showed two resolvable spots, which served to further verify subwavelength resolution.