Bulk photonic metamaterial with hyperbolic dispersion

Abstract

We have demonstrated the thickest bulk photonic metamaterial reported in the literature based on an Ag-filled alumina membrane. The material is highly anisotropic with hyperbolic dispersion at λ>0.84 μm. The refraction of light in the direction expected of isotropic media with n<1 has been experimentally demonstrated at λ=632.8 nm. This makes the material potentially suitable for a variety of applications ranging from subdiffraction imaging to optical cloaking.