Articles techniques et présentations

We show that diffraction can be suppressed in a one-dimensional metallodielectric stack (MDS) at visible wavelengths to achieve super-resolution imaging. In our calculations we use two popular techniques, which can be adapted to investigate the imaging properties of MDSs. The two methods are the transfer matrix method (TMM) and the Finite element method based software, COMSOL Multiphysics. The two methods are compared with one another for consistency. We demonstrate the robustness and reliability of the full vector nature FEM without omitting the scattered fields and executed using appropriate boundary conditions. Our designs uses material parameters taken from physical data and the structures can be achieved with the current state of art in nanofabrication technology. Simulations identify two super-resolution regimes: a focusing regime at the edges of the pass band with no surface plasmon excitation, and a beam channeling, or super-guiding regime at the center of the pass band that favors the onset of transverse surface plasmons.