Patent ID: 8017894
Filing Date: 2011-09-13
Classification: G02B

Abstract:
1. An imaging system having an enhanced resolution, comprising: an evanescent field generator configured to receive an incident electromagnetic field representing at least one distant light source and restores high spatial frequency components to the incident electromagnetic field, resulting in an evanescent field, the evanescent field generator comprising a plate with a plurality of apertures arranged in a grid, where the diameter and effective path length of each of the plurality of apertures being selected to apply a desired transfer function to an incident electromagnetic field representing the at least one distant light source such that a first aperture of the plurality of apertures has a different effective path length than a second aperture of the plurality of apertures; a negative refractive index lens assembly that focuses the evanescent field onto a focal plane; and a photodetector assembly located in the focal plane that detects the focused evanescent field as an image of the at least one distant light source.