ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses a powerful tool for deep subwavelength imaging known as the far-field superlens (FSL). It also discusses the underlying physical mechanisms behind FSL functionality, followed by experimental examples of the FSL in action. The FSL is an exciting development in the field of super-resolution optics. It has the ability to amplify evanescent object wavevectors and convert them via a one-to-one diffraction grating transfer function to propagating wavelengths without loss of information. This is done by taking advantage of the short wavelengths of resonant plasmons accessible in thin metal films at optical frequencies. The FSL behaves similarly to a near-field superlens, with the added feature of a grating on the back side to reduce the evanescent wavevectors so that they may propagate in free space after enhancement in the lens. The chapter explores several variations and modifications of the FSL design, showing its exciting potential in a wide range of applications.
