Characterization for metamaterials with a high refractive index formed by periodic stratified metallic wires array

Ultralong ZnO nanowires were successfully prepared on a large scale by a microwave-assisted aqueous route without using any surfactant or template at relatively low temperature of 120°C. The obtained nanowires were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrum (EDX). The growth mechanism and photoluminescence of the one-dimensional nanostructure, and photovoltaic performances for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC) of the nanowires were discussed in detail.     

Negative index of refraction in optical metamaterials

A double-periodic array of pairs of parallel gold nanorods is shown to have a negative refractive index in the optical range. Such behavior results from the plasmon resonance in the pairs of nanorods for both the electric and the magnetic components of light. The refractive index is retrieved from direct phase and amplitude measurements for transmission and reflection, which are all in excellent agreement with simulations. Both experiments and simulations demonstrate that a negative refractive index n' approximately -0.3 is achieved at the optical communication wavelength of 1.5 microm using the array of nanorods. The retrieved refractive index critically depends on the phase of the transmitted wave, which emphasizes the importance of phase measurements in finding n'.     

High-performance lens antenna using high refractive index metamaterials

In this paper, a high refractive index metamaterial(HRM), whose element is composed of bilayer square patch(BSP)spaced by a dielectric plate, is proposed. By reducing the thickness of the dielectric plate and the gap between adjacent patches, the BSP can effectively enhance capacitive coupling and simultaneously suppress diamagnetic response, which significantly increases the refractive index of the proposed metamaterial. Furthermore, the high refractive index region is far away from the resonant region of the metamaterial, resulting in broadband. Based on these characteristics of BSP, a gradient refractive index(GRIN) lens with thin thickness(0.34λ_0, where λ_0 is the wavelength at 5.75 GHz) is designed.By using this lens, we then design a circularly polarized horn antenna with high performance. The measurement results show that the 3-d B axial ratio bandwidth is 34.8%(4.75 GHz～ 6.75 GHz) and the antenna gain in this frequency range is increased by an average value of 3.4 dB. The proposed method opens up a new avenue to design high-performance antenna.     

A generator of far-infrared and terahertz radiation in nonlinear metamaterials exhibiting negative index of refraction

Laser oscillation conditions are analyzed in nonlinear composite metamaterials exhibiting a negative index of refraction. It is demonstrated that strong quadratic and cubic nonlinearities can be simultaneously realized in such structures. Based on the described composite material, a scheme of an optically pumped parametric generator of terahertz radiation is proposed.     

共振光的大折射率

揭示了在多能级原子介质中的一种新现象:利用原子相干可使共振光获得明显大于1的折射率.     

Retrieval of effective parameters for bianisotropic metamaterials with omega shaped metallic inclusions

Bianisotropic metamaterials including Ω-shaped metallic elements are investigated experimentally and theoretically. A passband is observed for a composite metamaterial (CMM) based on an Ω-medium below the plasmonic frequency of the corresponding closed CMM. The effective parameters (refractive index, impedances, permittivity, permeability, and magnetoelectric coupling coefficient) are retrieved for the Ω-medium and the CMM based on it. Our retrieval results show that the passband observed for the CMM is a band with positive refractive indices. Our retrieval results confirm the deductions of our previous reports.     

周期性层状铁氧体-电介质复合材料中导模模式的有效负折射率

运用等效传输线法研究了周期性层状铁氧体-电介质/金属复合材料导模模式的有效折射率.通过对复合材料导模模式的色散特性和有效折射率的分析和计算，发现负折射率只能出现在TE模式激励下的某一频带内.在负折射率频带内的电磁损耗与复合材料中介电材料的性质密切相关，减小介电损耗可以有效降低复合材料的损耗，但过分小的介电损耗则会导致负折射率的消失. 关键词： 负折射率 导模模式 等效传输线法     

磁电超材料折射率特性分析

基于麦克斯韦旋度方程, 将磁电超材料板中的电元件和磁元件分别等效为面电流和面磁流, 通过计算这些周期性面电流和面磁流在某个磁电超材料板上产生的总电场和总磁场, 获得了关于面磁流密度和面电流密度的两个方程, 进而推导出了周期性磁电超材料折射率与磁元件的磁导率、 电元件的介电常数和空间色散项之间关系的解析公式. 与传统的折射率计算公式不同, 该解析公式充分考虑到了空间色散以及磁电超材料的电元件和磁元件的相互作用. 折射率理论曲线和基于仿真实验数据的提取值曲线能很好地符合, 这说明文中推导的折射率公式能够正确地描述磁电超材料的负折射特性. 本文的结果将为分析电磁元件之间的相互作用以及设计负折射率符合一定要求的磁电超材料提供重要的理论参考. 关键词： 磁电超材料 周期性结构 负折射率     

左手材料的反射特性与负折射率行为

利用平板波导法研究了不同入射角度下周期排列开口谐振环负磁导率材料、周期排列金属杆负介电常数材料以及左手材料微波反射特性，并利用劈尖法研究了左手材料的负折射特性.实验结果表明：负磁导率材料反射率曲线形成反射峰，其对应的反射峰频率与材料的谐振频率一致；负介电常数材料反射率接近0dB；左手材料出现单个反射较小的反射峰，其峰值反射率随入射角度的增大而变大，即反射能力增强，且反射峰与透射峰有相对频移.劈尖法测量还表明，左手材料在9800MHz频率附近出现负折射现象，其折射率n为-0.796. 关键词： 左手材料 反射 负折射率     

负折射材料的非寻常折射

负折射材料是近年来研究人员关注的新型材料,与常规材料相比,它有许多非寻常的表现,特别是光的折射,用惠更斯原理解释了负折射材料的折射规律,并分析了负折射材料制作的一些常用光学元件与传统材料制作的相应光学元件的不同作用。     

Theory of pump-probe experiments of metallic metamaterials coupled to a gain medium

We establish a new approach for pump-probe simulations of metallic metamaterials coupled to the gain materials. It is of vital importance to understand the mechanism of the coupling of metamaterials with the gain medium. Using a four-level gain system, we have studied light amplification of arrays of metallic split-ring resonators with a gain layer underneath. We find that the differential transmittance ΔT/T can be negative for split-ring resonators on the top of the gain substrate, which is not expected, and ΔT/T is positive for the gain substrate alone. These simulations agree with pump-probe experiments and can help to design new experiments to compensate for the losses of metamaterials.     

缺陷对左手材料负折射的调控行为

采用电路板刻蚀技术制备左手材料样品，由劈尖法分别研究了无缺陷和引入缺陷时左手材料的负折射特性.实验结果表明，引入两种点缺陷材料与无缺陷材料的功率峰值之比分别为1.035和1.256，且负折射率的绝对值分别增大了9.6%和19.6%；引入空位缺陷材料与无缺陷材料的功率峰值之比最大为1.973，最小为0.364，负折射率的绝对值最大增大了68.3%，最小增大了9.6%.缺陷的存在改变了左手材料周期性结构，形成新的电磁谐振条件，使其负折射率和功率峰值发生了变化，实现了对左手材料负折射率的调控. 关键词： 左手材料 负折射 缺陷     

Transmission spectra and the effective parameters for planar metamaterials with omega shaped metallic inclusions

Planar metamaterials with omega shaped metallic inclusions were studied experimentally and theoretically. Our results show that when the incidence is perpendicular to the plane of the omega structure, the omega medium acts effectively as an electric resonator metamaterial. The stop band of the omega medium is due to the negative part of the electric resonance of the omega structure. The transmission band of the composite metamaterial (CMM) that is based on the omega medium is due to the strong positive part of the electric resonance of the omega structure. Consequently, the transmission band of the CMM does not coincide with the stop band of the omega medium. Furthermore, the transmission band of the CMM is a band with positive refractive indices. Our experimental and numerical results are in good agreement.     

Controlling the propagation velocity of a femtosecond laser pulse with negative index metamaterials

We theoretically study the propagation of a femtosecond laser pulse in negative-index metamaterials, and show that its propagation velocity can be easily controlled at a certain wavelength range simply by changing the initial chirp. This phenomenon may be used as an extremely simple way to control the propagation velocity of a femtosecond laser pulse.     

石墨烯基双曲色散特异材料的负折射与体等离子体性质

基于有效介质理论研究了石墨烯/介质周期结构的电磁性质, 研究发现这种复合结构的等频面在太赫兹和远红外波段为双曲线, 可用来实现石墨烯基双曲色散特异材料. 通过改变石墨烯的费米能级、介质层厚度和单元结构中石墨烯的层数, 可很容易地调节双曲色散存在的频段. 由于等频面的双曲色散特性, 石墨烯基双曲色散特异材料在远低于截止频率的范围内, 对斜入射的电磁波具有负的能量折射率和正的相位折射率, 并支持局域体等离子体模式. 基于衰减全反射结构, 研究了体等离子体的激发, 探索了体等离子体在可调的光学反射调制器中的应用.     

基于高介电常数基板和金属结构负折射材料的设计,仿真与验证

通过将单回路镜像对称开口金属环结构印制在高介电常数基板上,实现了一种金属含量比传统负折射材料更少,"双负"通带比全介质负折射材料更宽的负折射材料.分析了高介电常数基板产生负介电常数以及"双负"通带形成的机理,通过仿真实验分析了影响"双负"通带的因素.通过制作样品验证了这一机理实现"双负"的可行性,理论分析与实验结果都表明这种方法可实现较宽频段内的"双负"通带. 关键词： 负折射材料 负介电常数 负磁导率 介质谐振器原理     

Propagation of a localized wavepacket in a metamaterial with a negative index of refraction

Propagation properties of electromagnetic waves in a medium with a negative index of refraction are investigated. A model of a physical signal that combines simultaneously qualities of both a spatially-localized beam and a wavepacket was used as the incident wave. Such a choice was necessary because of the strong frequency dispersion of metamaterials in the spectral region with a negative index of refraction. An approximate analytical solution was derived that describes the propagation dynamics of such a signal through a slab made of material showing simultaneously a negative dielectric permittivity and magnetic permeability. Presented at the XIIIth International Conference “Physics of Pulse Discharges in Condensed Media,” August 21–25, 2007, Nikolaev, Ukraine. __________ Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 75, No. 2, pp. 187–193, March–April, 2008.     

High-speed varifocal imaging with a tunable acoustic gradient index of refraction lens

Fluidic lenses allow for varifocal optical elements, but current approaches are limited by the speed at which focal length can be changed. Here we demonstrate the use of a tunable acoustic gradient (TAG) index of refraction lens as a fast varifocal element. The optical power of the TAG lens varies continuously, allowing for rapid selection and modification of the effective focal length at time scales of 1 mus and shorter. The wavefront curvature applied to the incident light is experimentally quantified as a function of time, and single-frame imaging is demonstrated. Results indicate that the TAG lens can successfully be employed to perform high-rate imaging at multiple locations.     

Low loss negative index metamaterials with one type of meta-atom

Metamaterial building blocks from microwave to optical range are mainly based on metal-dielectric composites. In almost all structures with true negative index (not coming from losses), two kinds of meta-atoms (electric and magnetic) are mixed to drive simultaneously the effective permittivity and permeability to negative values leading in turn to a negative index of refraction. In this paper, we show that two coupled structures with localized plasmons modes (e.g. cut-wires or split ring resonators) can exhibit negative refractive index by their own, by appropriately controlling the hybridization scheme of the plasmons modes. Because of small metal filling factor and reduced optical losses, the resulting structures may pave the way to realistic applications of metamaterials at optical frequencies.