Hypergratings: nanophotonics in planar anisotropic metamaterials

We present a technique capable of producing subwavelength focal spots in planar nonresonant structures not limited to the near-field of the source. The approach combines the diffraction gratings that generate the high-wave-vector-number modes and planar slabs of homogeneous anisotropic metamaterials that propagate these waves and combine them at the subwavelength focal spots. In a sense, the technique combines the benefits of Fresnel lens, near-field zone plates, hyperlens, and superlens and at the same time resolves their fundamental limitations. Several realizations of the proposed technique for visible, near-IR, and mid-IR frequencies are proposed, and their performance is analyzed theoretically and numerically. Generalizations of the developed approach for subdiffractional imaging and on-chip photonics are suggested.