Bringing the ‘perfect lens’ into focus by near-perfect compensation of losses without gain media

In this paper, the optical properties and imaging performance of a non-ideal Pendry's negative index flat lens with a practical value for loss are studied. Analytical calculations of the optical properties of the lens are performed, and those results are used to further study the lens and corresponding imaging system numerically. An inverse filter emulating the plasmon injection scheme for loss compensation in negative index metamaterials is applied to the results from the imaging system, resulting in a perfect reconstruction of a previously unresolved image that demonstrates sub-diffraction-limited resolution.