Near Field Lenses in Two Dimensions

TL;DR

This paper generalizes the concept of perfect lenses with negative refractive index to enable magnification in two-dimensional systems using conformal transformations, broadening potential applications across various frequencies.

Contribution

It introduces a method to create magnifying lenses in two dimensions by applying conformal transformations to negative index slabs, extending the perfect lens concept.

Findings

Lenses can magnify two-dimensional objects.

Conformal transformations generate new lens geometries.

Potential applications from microwave to visible frequencies.

Abstract

It has been shown that a slab of materials with refractive index = -1 behaves like a perfect lens focussing all light to an exact electromagnetic copy of an object. The original lens is limited to producing images the same size as the object, but here we generalise the concept so that images can be magnified. For two dimensional systems, over distances much shorter than the free space wavelength, we apply conformal transformations to the original parallel sided slab generating a variety of new lenses. Although the new lenses are not `perfect' they are able to magnify two dimensional objects. The results apply equally to imaging of electric or magnetic sub wavelength objects in two dimensions. The concepts have potential applications ranging from microwave frequencies to the visible.