Negative Refraction Makes a Perfect Lens

TLDR

Conventional lenses are limited by the wavelength of light, but a slab of negative refractive index material can focus all Fourier components of a 2D image, enabling superlensing, which has been realized in the microwave band with current technology. Simulations demonstrate that a thin silver slab operating at visible light frequencies can act as a perfect lens, resolving features only a few nanometers wide.

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.