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The resolution of far-field optical microscopes, which rely on propagatingoptical modes, is widely believed to be limited because of diffraction to avalue on the order of a half-wavelength $\lambda /2$ of the light used.Although immersion microscopes have slightly improved resolution on the orderof $\lambda /2n$, the increased resolution is limited by the small range ofrefractive indices n of available transparent materials. Here we demonstrate anew far-field optical microscope design, which is capable of reachingnanometer-scale resolution. This microscope uses the fact that the effectiverefractive index $n_{eff}$ of a planar dielectric lens or mirror placed on ametal surface may reach extremely large values, up to $10^3$, as seen bypropagating surface optical modes (plasmons). In our design a magnified planarimage produced originally by surface plasmons in the metal plane is viewed by aregular microscope. Thus, the theoretical diffraction limit on resolution ispushed down to nanometer-scale $\lambda /2n_{eff}$ values. Used in reverse,such a microscope may become an optical lithography tool with nanometer-scalespatial resolution.

Far-Field Optical Microscopy with a Nanometer-Scale Resolution Based on the In-Plane Image Magnification by Surface Plasmon Polaritons