A Negative Refractive Index Metamaterial Based on a Cubic Array of Layered Nonmagnetic Spherical Particles

A low-loss passive metamaterial exhibiting negative refractive index or “double negative” electromagnetic properties at microwave frequencies is proposed. The metamaterial is a lattice of spherical particles made up of multiple dielectric materials in concentric layers. Because no magnetic constituents (that tend to have higher losses) are involved, the negative-index behavior is possible with very low values of attenuation. A negative-index metamaterial based on dielectric-coated metal spheres is also proposed, and is predicted to have lower attenuation than other structures based on metallic scatterers. Numerical results and design principles are given.

[1]  F. J. Rachford,et al.  Tunable negative index metamaterial using yttrium iron garnet , 2007 .

[2]  Vassilios Yannopapas.  Negative refractive index in the near-UV from Au-coated CuCl nanoparticle superlattices , 2007 .

[3]  Richard W. Ziolkowski,et al.  Low frequency lumped element-based negative index metamaterial , 2007 .

[4]  Shuang Zhang,et al.  Optical negative-index bulk metamaterials consisting of 2D perforated metal-dielectric stacks. , 2006, Optics express.

[5]  J. Lourtioz,et al.  Low loss negative index metamaterials with one type of meta-atom , 2010 .

[6]  Milton Kerker,et al.  The Scattering of Light and Other Electromagnetic Radiation ~Academic , 1969 .

[7]  A. Zayats,et al.  Low-loss multilayered metamaterial exhibiting a negative index of refraction at visible wavelengths. , 2011, Physical review letters.

[8]  S. Maslovski,et al.  Modeling of isotropic backward-wave materials composed of resonant spheres , 2006 .

[9]  H. Atwater,et al.  A single-layer wide-angle negative-index metamaterial at visible frequencies. , 2010, Nature materials.

[10]  Vladimir M. Shalaev,et al.  Stochastic optimization of low-loss optical negative-index metamaterial , 2007 .

[11]  A. Güttler.  Die Miesche Theorie der Beugung durch dielektrische Kugeln mit absorbierendem Kern und ihre Bedeutung für Probleme der interstellaren Materie und des atmosphärischen Aerosols , 1952 .

[12]  A novel structure for double negative NIMs towards UV spectrum with high FOM. , 2010, Optics express.

[13]  J. Stewart Aitchison,et al.  Coated nonmagnetic spheres with a negative index of refraction at infrared frequencies , 2006 .

[14]  Ekmel Ozbay,et al.  Experimental demonstration of a left-handed metamaterial operating at 100 GHz , 2006 .

[15]  Nader Engheta,et al.  Polarizabilities and effective parameters for collections of spherical nanoparticles formed by pairs of concentric double-negative, single-negative, and∕or double-positive metamaterial layers , 2005 .

[16]  M. Wegener,et al.  Design-related losses of double-fishnet negative-index photonic metamaterials. , 2007, Optics express.

[17]  W. Steen.  Absorption and Scattering of Light by Small Particles , 1999 .

[18]  Michael Vollmer,et al.  Optical properties of metal clusters , 1995 .

[19]  J. A. Stratton.  The Effect of Rain and Fog on the Propagation of Very Short Radio Waves , 1930, Proceedings of the Institute of Radio Engineers.

[20]  Shuang Zhang,et al.  Optical negative index metamaterials with improved performance , 2006, 2006 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics and 2006 Quantum Electronics and Laser Science Conference.

[21]  Numerical demonstration of a three-dimensional negative-index metamaterial at optical frequencies. , 2011, Optics express.

[22]  E. Liang,et al.  Numerical simulations of terahertz double-negative metamaterial with isotropic-like fishnet structure , 2009 .

[23]  R. Gans,et al.  Zur Optik kolloidaler Metallösungen , 1909 .

[24]  Irene A. Stegun,et al.  Handbook of Mathematical Functions. , 1966 .

[25]  R. Shore,et al.  Traveling Waves on Three-Dimensional Periodic Arrays of Two Different Alternating Magnetodielectric Spheres , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[26]  E. Ozbay,et al.  Theoretical Study and Experimental Realization of a Low-Loss Metamaterial Operating at the Millimeter-Wave Regime: Demonstrations of Flat- and Prism-Shaped Samples , 2010, IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics.

[27]  Willie J Padilla,et al.  Composite medium with simultaneously negative permeability and permittivity , 2000, Physical review letters.

[28]  M. Kafesaki,et al.  Bilayer metamaterial: analysis of left-handed transmission and retrieval of effective medium parameters , 2007 .

[29]  Thomas Lepetit,et al.  All-dielectric metamaterial: a ferroelectric-based scheme in the microwave range , 2009, NanoScience + Engineering.

[30]  E. A. Galst'yan,et al.  Electrodynamic parameters of a medium containing two-layer spherical inclusions , 1987 .

[31]  I. Vendik,et al.  3D isotropic metamaterial based on a regular array of resonant dielectric spherical inclusions , 2009 .

[32]  G. Mie.  Beiträge zur Optik trüber Medien, speziell kolloidaler Metallösungen , 1908 .

[33]  S. Ghadarghadr,et al.  Dispersion Diagram Characteristics of Periodic Array of Dielectric and Magnetic Materials Based Spheres , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation.

[34]  Remigius Zengerle,et al.  Negative index bulk metamaterial at terahertz frequencies. , 2008, Optics express.

[35]  I. Vendik,et al.  Modelling of isotropic double negative media for microwave applications , 2006 .

[36]  O. Keller.  Optical works of L. V. Lorenz , 2002 .

[37]  Role of Ferrites in Negative Index Metamaterials , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Magnetics.

[38]  T. Itoh,et al.  Isotropic left handed material at optical frequency with dielectric spheres embedded in negative permittivity medium , 2006 .

[39]  Artificial dielectric medium possessing simultaneously negative permittivity and magnetic permeability , 2006 .

[40]  Milton Kerker,et al.  Scattering of Electromagnetic Waves from Two Concentric Spheres , 1951 .

[41]  I. C. Khoo,et al.  Liquid crystalline nonlinear optical metamaterials with low-loss tunable negative-zero-positive refractive indices , 2007, SPIE Optics + Optoelectronics.

[42]  Robert W. Fenn,et al.  Scattering Properties of Concentric Soot–Water Spheres for Visible and Infrared Light , 1965 .

[43]  Edward F. Kuester,et al.  Extracting the bulk effective parameters of a metamaterial via the scattering from a single planar array of particles , 2009 .

[44]  C. Rockstuhl,et al.  The split cube in a cage: bulk negative-index material for infrared applications , 2009 .

[45]  O.G. Vendik,et al.  Artificial double negative (DNG) media composed by two different dielectric sphere lattices embedded in a dielectric matrix , 2004, 34th European Microwave Conference, 2004..

[46]  E. Ulin-Avila,et al.  Three-dimensional optical metamaterial with a negative refractive index , 2008, Nature.

[47]  G. Krekov,et al.  Calculation of radiation characteristics of polydisperse concentric spheres , 1973 .

[48]  Hossein Mosallaei,et al.  Physical configuration and performance modeling of all-dielectric metamaterials , 2008 .

[49]  M. Wegener,et al.  Low-loss negative-index metamaterial at telecommunication wavelengths. , 2006, Optics letters.

[50]  Dmitry S. Kozlov,et al.  3D Metamaterial Based on a Regular Array of Resonant Dielectric Inclusions , 2009 .

[51]  Rolf Jakoby,et al.  Left-Handed Metamaterials based on Split Ring Resonators for Microstrip Applications , 2003, 2003 33rd European Microwave Conference, 2003.

[52]  Vassilios Yannopapas,et al.  Negative refraction in random photonic alloys of polaritonic and plasmonic microspheres , 2007 .

[53]  Marco Rahm,et al.  Strongly birefringent metamaterials as negative index terahertz wave plates , 2009 .

[54]  An isotropic metamaterial formed with ferroelectric ceramic spherical inclusions , 2009 .

[55]  Costas M. Soukoulis,et al.  Magnetic response and negative refractive index of metamaterials , 2007, SPIE Optics + Optoelectronics.

[56]  Vassilios Yannopapas,et al.  Negative refractive index metamaterials from inherently non-magnetic materials for deep infrared to terahertz frequency ranges , 2005, Journal of physics. Condensed matter : an Institute of Physics journal.

[57]  C. Holloway,et al.  A double negative (DNG) composite medium composed of magnetodielectric spherical particles embedded in a matrix , 2003 .

[58]  L. Lewin.  The electrical constants of a material loaded with spherical particles , 1947 .

[59]  U. Chettiar,et al.  Yellow-light negative-index metamaterials. , 2009, Optics letters.