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Negative Refraction Makes a Perfect Lens

J. B. Pendry
Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 3966 – Published 30 October 2000
An article within the collection: The Physical Review Journals Celebrate The International Year of Light and the Letters from the Past - A PRL Retrospective
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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.

  • Received 25 April 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.85.3966

©2000 American Physical Society

Collections

This article appears in the following collections:

The Physical Review Journals Celebrate The International Year of Light

The editors of the Physical Review journals revisit papers that represent important breakthroughs in the field of optics.

Letters from the Past - A PRL Retrospective

2008 marked PRL’s 50th anniversary. As part of the celebrations a collection of milestone Letters was started. The collection contains Letters that have made long-lived contributions to physics, either by announcing significant discoveries, or by initiating new areas of research.

Authors & Affiliations

J. B. Pendry

  • Condensed Matter Theory Group, The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, London SW7 2BZ, United Kingdom

Comments & Replies

Some Problems with Negative Refraction

John Michael Williams
Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 249703 (2001)

Comment on “Negative Refraction Makes a Perfect Lens”

G. W. 't Hooft
Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 249701 (2001)

Pendry Replies:

John Pendry
Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 249702 (2001)

Pendry Replies:

John Pendry
Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 249704 (2001)

Nieto-Vesperinas and Garcia Reply:

M. Nieto-Vesperinas and N. Garcia
Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 099702 (2003)

Original Article

Comment on “Left-Handed Materials Do Not Make a Perfect Lens”

J. B. Pendry
Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 099701 (2003)

References

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Issue

Vol. 85, Iss. 18 — 30 October 2000

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