Broadband super-resolving lens with high transparency in the visible range

The authors present a theoretical analysis of a super-resolving lens based on one-dimensional metal-dielectric photonic band gap composed of Ag/GaP multilayers. The lens contains a total of ten optical skin depths of Ag, yet maintains a normal incidence transmittance of similar to 50% for propagating waves over the super-resolving wavelength range of 500-650 nm. The individual Ag layers are 22 nm thick and can be readily fabricated in conventional deposition systems. The importance of antireflection coatings for the transmission of evanescent and propagating waves is illustrated by comparison to periodic and symmetric structures without the coatings. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.