Limitations and potentials of generalized Veselago-Pendry lenses

Abstract

We study the imaging performance of anisotropic generalized Veselago-Pendry (GVP) lenses derived via complex transformation optics technique. The derived material tensors of such generalized lenses can be controlled via a complex coordinate transformation parameter resulting in an anisotropic constitutive tensor with loss/gain characteristics. We discuss their limitations and potentials based on the parametric analysis of material properties. We show that, although GVP lenses are not affected by the loss/gain level, akin to conventional VP lenses, their subwavelength imaging performance is also susceptible to material deviations from their original values. We also discuss that the resolution of GVP lenses can be significantly improved by tuning the real part of the transformation parameter. The proposed GVP lenses could be realized using, for instance, a metal-dielectric structure, with improved subwavelength imaging characteristics.