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.
Performance of a three dimensional transformation-optical-flattened Lüneburg lens.
Abstract
DOI
10.1364/oe.20.013262
Year
Chicago Citation
Driscoll, Tom, Guy Lipworth, Jack Hunt, Nathan Landy, Nathan Kundtz, Dimitri N. Basov, and David R. Smith. “Performance of a three dimensional transformation-optical-flattened Lüneburg lens.” Optics Express 20, no. 12 (June 2012): 13262–73. https://doi.org/10.1364/oe.20.013262.