Near-field imaging of a square-lattice metallic photonic-crystal slab at the second band

Imaging properties of a two-dimensional photonic crystal slab lens are investigated through the finite-difference time-domain method. In this paper, we consider the photonic crystal slab consisting of a square lattice of square metallic rods immersed in a dielectric background. Through the analysis of the equifrequency-surface contours and the field patterns of a point source placed in the vicinity of the photonic crystal slab, we find that a good-quality image can form at the frequencies in the second TM-polarized photonic band. Comparing the images formed at different frequencies, we can clearly see that an excellent-quality image is formed by the mechanisms of simultaneous action of the self-collimation effect and the negative-refraction effect.