Ulf Leonhardt 2009 New J. Phys. 11 093040 doi:10.1088/1367-2630/11/9/093040
Ulf Leonhardt
Show affiliationsPerfect imaging has been believed to rely on negative refraction, but here we show that an ordinary positively refracting optical medium may form perfect images as well. In particular, we establish a mathematical proof that Maxwell's fish eye in two-dimensional (2D) integrated optics makes a perfect instrument with a resolution not limited by the wavelength of light. We also show how to modify the fish eye such that perfect imaging devices can be made in practice. Our method of perfect focusing may also find applications outside of optics, in acoustics, fluid mechanics or quantum physics, wherever waves obey the 2D Helmholtz equation.
42.30.Va Image forming and processing
07.60.-j Optical instruments and equipment
42.25.Gy Edge and boundary effects; reflection and refraction
Issue 9 (September 2009)
Received 4 July 2009
Published 29 September 2009
Ulf Leonhardt 2009 New J. Phys. 11 093040
Giulio Fanti and Roberto Maggiolo 2004 J. Opt. A: Pure Appl. Opt. 6 491