An optical apparatus that provides extraordinary light transmission through a sub-wavelength-sized light transmitting region of the apparatus includes a core region of dielectric material having a complex dielectric constant, ∈1, surrounded by a metallic cladding material having a complex dielectric constant, ∈2, wherein the core region has a maximum dimension, 2a, further wherein 2a is less than λ, where λ is the free-space wavelength of light incident on an input side of the apparatus, and further wherein |∈1| is greater than 0.5|∈2|, ∈1 has a positive real part, and ∈2 has a negative real part, whereby the incident light will be transmitted by and exit the apparatus from an output side with extraordinary transmission.