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Performance of a three dimensional transformation-optical-flattened Lüneburg lens
Tom Driscoll1, Guy Lipworth, Jack Hunt
1Center for Integrated Metamaterials and Photonics, Duke University, P.O. Box 90291, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA. Tom.Driscoll@duke.edu
Abstract:
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.
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