Propagation and tunneling of electromagnetic waves through uniaxial metamaterials at arbitrary orientations of the optical axis

Boundary electrodynamic problem for a layer of effectively uniaxial absorbing metamaterial (MM) is solved. Proper inhomogeneous waves in the layer are neither TM (TE), when the optical axis is non-parallel to the incidence plane, nor purely evanescent. Features of excitation of particular waves with linear amplitude dependence on coordinates in MM are considered. Effect of small dielectric (magnetic) anisotropy and absorption of MM on imaging properties of the Veselago-Pendry lens is analyzed. It is shown that presence of a small anisotropy is a limiting factor much stronger than small losses, and careful account of effective permittivity (permeability) anisotropy for "superlens" devices is required.