Negative Refraction Makes a Perfect Lens
Abstract
With a conventional lens sharpness of the image is always limited by the wavelength of light. An unconventional alternative to a lens, a slab of negative refractive index material, has the power to focus all Fourier components of a 2D image, even those that do not propagate in a radiative manner. Such ``superlenses'' can be realized in the microwave band with current technology. Our simulations show that a version of the lens operating at the frequency of visible light can be realized in the form of a thin slab of silver. This optical version resolves objects only a few nanometers across.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- October 2000
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.85.3966
- Bibcode:
- 2000PhRvL..85.3966P