Superlens breaks optical barrier

A lens developed by physicists that can image nano-scale objects using visible light is discussed. It is found that diffraction restricts the resolution of microscopes and other optical devices to the wavelength of light used. The new superlens can produce a much sharper image than a conventional lens because it is bale to focus the near field components of the transmitted light. The lenses could be used to image structures with a resolution as high as one-quarter the wavelength of the incident light. Superlensing may find applications in industries such as optical lithography or optical storage and will enable manufacturers to fabricate devices on smaller scales.

Duke Scholars

Author David R. Smith Electrical and Computer Engineering