Cylindrical superlens by a coordinate transformation

Abstract

Cylinder-shaped perfect lens deduced from the coordinate transformation method is proposed. The previously reported perfect slab lens is noticed to be a limiting form of the cylindrical lens when the inner radius approaches infinity with respect to the lens thickness. Connaturality between a cylindrical lens and a slab lens is affirmed by comparing their eigenfield transfer functions. We numerically confirm the subwavelength focusing capability of such a cylindrical lens with consideration of material imperfection. Compared to a slab lens, a cylindrical lens has several advantages, including finiteness in cross section and ability in lensing with magnification or demagnification. Immediate applications of such a cylindrical lens can be in high-resolution imaging and lithography technologies. In addition, its invisibility property suggests that it may be valuable for noninvasive electromagnetic probing.