Performance of a three dimensional transformation-optical-flattened Lüneburg lens.
We demonstrate both the beam-forming and imaging capabilities of an X-band (8-12 GHz) operational Lüneburg lens, one side of which has been flattened via a coordinate transformation optimized using quasi-conformal transformation optics (QCTO) procedures. Our experimental investigation includes benchmark performance comparisons between the QCTO Lüneburg lens and a commensurate conventional Lüneburg lens. The QCTO Lüneburg lens is made from a metamaterial comprised of inexpensive plastic and fiberglass, and manufactured using fast and versatile numerically controlled water-jet machining. Looking forward towards the future and advanced TO designs, we discuss inevitable design trade-offs between affordable scalable manufacturing and rigorous adherence to the full TO solution, as well as possible paths to mitigate performance degradation in realizable designs.
Center for Integrated Metamaterials and Photonics, Duke University, P.O. Box 90291, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA. Tom.Driscoll@duke.edu
Tom
T
Driscoll
Guy
G
Lipworth
Jack
J
Hunt
Nathan
N
Landy
Nathan
N
Kundtz
Dimitri N
DN
Basov
David R
DR
Smith