Near-field imaging by negative permittivity media

The imaging of the nearfield by a slab of negative permittivity medium is discussed. The performance of this flat lens is limited by the working wavenumber k(0) and the slab thickness d For k(0)d much less than 0.937, the resolution of the flat lens can be smaller than the wavelength and depends logarithmically on 1/k(0)d. The electric field is finite everywhere, but will diverge algebraically as one reduces k(0)d --> 0. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.