Super-Resolution Imaging via Lenses with Angular Magnification

The far-field resolution of traditional optical imaging systems is restricted by the Abbe diffraction limit, a direct result of the wave nature of light. To break this limit, one applicable approach is to reduce the effective size of the point-spread-function (PSF). In the past decades, great endeavors have been made to produce an effective super-resolution PSF by exploiting different mechanisms, including optical nonlinearities and structured light illumination. However, it is difficult to apply these methods to objects at far distance miles away. Here, the study proposes a new approach to achieving super-resolution imaging for far-distance objects by utilizing angular magnification. To this end, a new class of metalenses with angular magnification is first theoretically and experimentally validated and demonstrated. Both theoretical and experimental results have demonstrated a more than twofold enhancement beyond the traditional angular-resolution limit. The proposed approach is of promising potential in the applications of super-resolution telescopes and remote sensing. To break the Rayleigh diffraction limit, instead of reducing the effective size of the point-spread-function (PSF), this study proposes a new approach to achieving super-resolution imaging for far-distance objects by utilizing angular magnification. A new class of metalenses with angular magnification is first validated and demonstrated, showing a more than twofold enhancement beyond the Rayleigh diffraction limit.image