9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. This report results from a contract tasking Foundation for Research and Technology, Hellas (FORTH) as follows: The expected results include full understanding of the role of the periodicity on the negative index behavior. Exploitation of this understanding for optimization of Left Handed Materials (LHM) for different functionalities. (b) Negative Index Materials (NIM) operating in the THz regime and upwards. Determination of the frequency limits of the NIM behavior and understanding of the physical mechanism for these limits. Design, modeling, and, possible fabrication and characterization of negative index structures operating in the highest determined frequency limits. Deliverables: Reports on the results (a) and (b) mentioned above, at the end of the project, and interim reports documenting progress.