Planar gradient index optical metamaterials
AssigneeToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.
InventorsZhuoyuan Wu, Serdar H. Yonak
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Abstract
An apparatus comprises a metamaterial including a first conducting layer, a second conducting layer, and a dielectric layer located between the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer. Each conducting layer has holes formed therethrough, for example as an array of holes formed through the metamaterial. The holes are configured so that the metamaterial has a gradient refractive index at an operational wavelength. The operational wavelength may be an IR or visible wavelength. The apparatus may be an optical element, and for example may have the functionality of a lens or prism through the gradient refractive index. Interfaces may be parallel planar interfaces.
Claims15
An apparatus, the apparatus comprising a metamaterial including:
- a first conducting layer;
- a second conducting layer;
- and
- a dielectric layer located between the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer,
- each conducting layer having holes formed therethrough,
- the holes being configured so that the metamaterial has a gradient refractive index at an operational wavelength, the gradient refractive index varying as a function of spatial position on the metamaterial,
- the holes having a hole spacing that varies as a function of position along at least one direction, the hole spacing being a hole center spacing,
- the gradient refractive index being a gradient positive refractive index,
- the operational wavelength being an IR or visible wavelength.
An apparatus comprising a metamaterial, the metamaterial including:
- a first conducting layer;
- a second conducting layer;
- and
- a dielectric layer located between the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer,
- the metamaterial having a regular array of holes extending through the metamaterial,
- the holes having a size parameter that varies as a function of position on the metamaterial,
- so that the metamaterial has a gradient refractive index at an operational wavelength,
- the gradient refractive index varying as a function of spatial position on the metamaterial,
- the gradient refractive index being a gradient real positive refractive index,
- the operational wavelength being an IR or visible wavelength.
An apparatus comprising a metamaterial, the metamaterial including:
- a first conducting layer;
- a second conducting layer;
- and
- a dielectric layer located between the first conducting layer and the second conducting layer,
- the metamaterial having an array of holes extending through the metamaterial,
- the holes having a hole spacing that varies as a function of position on the metamaterial, so that the metamaterial has a gradient refractive index at an operational wavelength,
- the gradient refractive index varying as a function of spatial position on the metamaterial,
- the gradient refractive index being a gradient real positive refractive index,
- the operational wavelength being an IR or visible wavelength.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.