Optical gain removes absorption and increases resolution in a near-field lens

TL;DR

This paper proposes using optical gain media in near-field lenses to compensate for material losses, significantly enhancing resolution beyond wavelength limits with a silver/gain composite.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach of incorporating optical gain media into near-field lens design to overcome loss limitations and improve imaging resolution.

Findings

Optical gain compensates for losses in near-field lenses.

Silver/gain composite media dramatically improve lens performance.

Resolution surpasses wavelength limitations with gain media.

Abstract

A recent paper showed how to construct a lens that focuses near field radiation and hence produce resolution unlimited by wavelength. The prescription requires lossless materials with negative refractive index: finite loss cuts off the finer details of the image. In this paper we suggest compensating for losses by introducing optical gain media into the lens design. Calculations demonstrate a dramatic improvement in performance for a silver/gain composite medium at optical frequencies.