Does negative refraction make a perfect lens?

TL;DR

This paper critically examines the claim that negative refraction materials can create perfect lenses, concluding that practical limitations prevent achieving perfect imaging due to material fluctuations.

Contribution

It challenges Pendry's theoretical assertion by demonstrating that real-world fluctuations hinder the realization of perfect lenses with negative refraction.

Findings

Negative refraction alone does not guarantee perfect imaging.

Material fluctuations limit the resolution of negative refraction lenses.

Practical constraints prevent perfect lens realization.

Abstract

A discussion of a question, studied earlier by V.Veselago in 1967 and by J. Pendry in 2000, is given. The question is: can a slab of the material with negative refraction make a perfect lens? Pendry's conclusion was: yes, it can. Our conclusion is: no, in practice it cannot, because of the fluctuations of the refraction coefficient of the slab. Resolution ability of linear isoplanatic optical instruments is discussed.