Ultratransparent Media and Transformation Optics with Shifted Spatial Dispersions

By using pure dielectric photonic crystals, we demonstrate the realization of ultratransparent media, which allow near 100% transmission of light for all incident angles and create aberration-free virtual images. The ultratransparency effect is well explained by spatially dispersive effective medium theory for photonic crystals, and verified by both simulations and proof-of-principle microwave experiments. Designed with shifted elliptical equal frequency contours, such ultratransparent media not only provide a low-loss and feasible platform for transformation optics devices at optical frequencies, but also enable new freedom for phase manipulation beyond the local medium framework.Received 10 May 2016DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.223901© 2016 American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasMetamaterialsPhotonic crystalsTransformation opticsTechniquesImaging & optical processingCondensed Matter, Materials & Applied PhysicsAtomic, Molecular & Optical