Wave propagation inside one-dimensional photonic crystals with single-negative materials

The propagation of light waves in one-dimensional photonic crystals (1DPCs) composed of alternating layers of two kinds of single-negative materials is investigated theoretically. The phase velocity is negative when the frequency of the light wave is smaller than the certain critical frequency ω_cr, while the Poynting vector is always positive. At normal incidence, such 1DPCs may act as equivalent left-handed materials. At the inclined incidence, the effective wave vectors inside such 1DPCs do refract negatively, while the effective energy flows do not refract negatively. Therefore, at the inclined incidence, the 1DPCs are not equivalent to the left-handed materials.