Far-field subwavelength imaging for ultrasonic elastic waves in a plate using an elastic hyperlens

Subwavelength imaging was experimentally performed for ultrasonic elastic waves by using an angularly stratified plat, an elastic plate hyperlens. It consists of alternating layers of aluminum and air, exhibiting a large contrast in elastic stiffness. A specially configured experimental setup is used to locate two sources within half the wavelength at 100 kHz. To explain the observed phenomenon, the homogenization of the elasticity coefficients of the stratified structure is employed. Because of the strong cylindrical anisotropy, an equifrequency contour becomes nearly flat along the angular wave vector so that evanescent waves involved with high angular resolution are converted to propagating waves. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3600634]