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Science 6 April 2001:
Vol. 292. no. 5514, pp. 60 - 61
DOI: 10.1126/science.1060221
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Perspectives

OPTICAL MATERIALS:
Bending Light the Wrong Way

M. C. K. Wiltshire

The refractive index is a measure of how much light slows down when it enters a medium. Conventional materials have a positive refractive index that is normally greater than 1. In his Perspective, Wiltshire explains how Shelby et al. were able to defy convention and make a negative refractive index material without violating the laws of physics. Such materials may enable the fabrication of the "perfect lens."

The author is at Marconi Caswell Ltd., Caswell, Towcester, Northants, UK. E-mail: mike.wiltshire{at}marconi.com

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)