On the Resolution and Superresolution of Optical Systems

The fundamental restrictions on the resolution of optical systems are considered. The main attention of the investigation is devoted to the resolution of the lenses made of a negative-index material. It is shown that the superresolution concept is not correct and the possibility of obtaining a perfect image on its own eventually contradicts Maxwell's equations in vacuum. It is also shown that known limitations of the diffraction theory on resolution of optical instruments hold true for the resolution of lenses of a negative-index material, in particular, the resolution of a Veselago lens. The obtain result does not depend on the design of the lens and applicable for the Veselago lens made with active and superconductive materials.