Polarization-sensitive propagation in an anisotropic metamaterial with double-sheeted hyperboloid dispersion relation

The polarization-sensitive propagation in the anisotropic metamaterial (AMM) with double-sheeted hyperboloid dispersion relation is investigated from a purely wave propagation point of view. We show that TE and TM polarized waves present significantly different characteristics which depend on the polarization. The omnidirectional total reflection and oblique total transmission can occur in the interface associated with the AMM. If appropriate conditions are satisfied, one polarized wave exhibits the total refraction, while the other presents the total reflection. We find that the opposite amphoteric refractions can be realized by rotating the principle axis of AMM, such that one polarized wave performs the negative refraction, while the other undergoes positive refraction. The polarization-sensitive characteristics allow us to construct two types of efficient polarizing beam splitters under certain achievable conditions.     

Total reflection of electromagnetic waves propagating from an isotropic medium to an indefinite metamaterial

The existence conditions for total reflection and the corresponding critical angle at the interface separating an isotropic medium and an indefinite metamaterial for TE- and TM-polarized electromagnetic waves are obtained. For different kinds of indefinite metamaterial, there appear different total reflection phenomena. Particularly, the anomalous total reflection in which the incident angle is smaller than the critical angle and the Brewster’s angle can be smaller than the critical angle can occur for anti-cutoff medium. Furthermore, the omnidirectional total reflection exists for the always cutoff medium and anti-cutoff medium. The total reflection depends on the thickness of indefinite metamaterial when the indefinite metamaterial is finite, and the photon tunneling phenomenon can occur when the thickness of indefinite metamaterial is smaller than wavelength.     

Dual-band polarization-independent sub-terahertz fishnet metamaterial

A dual-band and polarization-independent fishnet metamaterial for the sub-THz frequency range is proposed and investigated. Dual-band modes have two resonances in which the first one is fixed as a left-handed mode and the second one can be arranged as a left-handed or single-negative mode. We select the character of second resonance by the choice of substrate properties. The metamaterial features of the structure are analyzed using the scattering data and confirmed by applying Kramers-Kronig relations. The characteristic features are also verified by the current distribution at the inner metallic surfaces of the structure. The influence of substrate modifications is studied and the effect of this change on resonances is discussed. The design of a dual-band and polarization-independent sub-THz metamaterial presented here can serve as a model and guide to realize tunable fishnet metamaterials for other frequency regimes.     

Left-handed chiral metamaterials

In this work, the concept of left-handed chiral metamaterials is analyzed by emphasizing their optical ability on the rotation of the plane of polarization of a wave. The possibilities of a negative phase velocity, negative and positive propagation constants, and basic electromagnetic properties of this novel medium are also presented. After the characterization of left-handed chiral metamaterial, we provide a reflection and transmission study for two planar boundaries of nonchiral-left-handed chiral metamaterial for normal angles of incidence. Some numerical results are also provided to validate the formulation found in the analysis and to show the role of the chirality in the propagation constants, phase velocities, reflection and transmission.      

Experimental verification of negative refraction in a double cross metamaterial

We report on microwave experiments with a metamaterial composed of pairs of metallic crosses. The transmission properties of the structure show a left-handed transmission band at frequencies around 10.2 GHz. The validity of the negative effective index of refraction is verified by a Snell’s law refraction experiment performed on a wedge-shaped sample of the metamaterial. A second measurement of a similar wedge made from blank FR4 boards is done for reference. The results of the measurements show positive refraction over the whole measured frequency band for the FR4 wedge as well as the refraction of the incident radiation to negative angles within the designated left-handed frequency band for the metamaterial sample.     

Impacts of Refraction Index Mismatch on Performance of Target Detection and Imaging by Using Flat LHM Lens

Refraction index mismatch between flat left-handed metamaterial (LHM) lens and its surrounding medium generally destroys the focusing of flat LHM lens and degrades the performance of near-field target detection by using flat LHM lens. For LHM lens of refraction index mismatch within ±30%, numerical simulations demonstrate that lenses with large refraction index may suffer less resolution degradation than lenses with small refraction index, and the enhancement of refocused microwave backscattered from target can be subsided by up to approximately 5.5dB. The refraction index mismatch will also shift the target position in the reconstructed image so that theoretical prediction of target position needs to be modified.     

基于含单负材料光量子阱结构的全向多通道滤波器

分析了含单负材料的光量子阱结构中的振荡透射模的性质.用两种单负（负介电常量或负磁导率）材料交替周期堆叠形成的两个光子晶体构造了一维光量子阱结构,该结构中仅其中一个光子晶体含有零有效位相带隙.数值计算结果发现,在零有效位相带隙内存在振荡透射模.通过改变井区域光子晶体内单负材料层的厚度及周期数,振荡透射模的数目、频率及频率间隔均可调节.振荡透射模对入射角度的依赖均很弱;随着入射角度的改变,缺陷模频率的相对改变量保持在0.02以下.该研究结果可用于设计多通道全向滤波器.     

C波段平面异向介质设计及其后向波特性验证

提出了一种工作在C波段的新型平面结构异向介质，它除了带宽宽和损耗小外，还具有体积小、结构简单的优点，而且能够实现工作频段的平移，频率平移范围为4—20 GHz.基于电磁波由自由空间入射半无限大异向介质平板的传输和反射数据，计算出了电波在其中传播时的相速随频率的变化曲线，结果表明所讨论的异向介质确实在预想的频段上表现出后向波特性；同时利用相位观察法进一步验证了上述的后向波特性，从而肯定了异向介质的存在. 关键词： 异向介质 宽频带 小单元 后向波特性     

Focusing of a Flat Left-Handed Metamaterial Lens in a Heterogeneous and Lossy Medium

For applications such as near-field target detection and tumor hyperthermia with a fiat left-handed metamaterial （LHM） lens, a microwave will be focused in the heterogeneous and lossy medium. Different from the focusing of a fiat LHM lens in vacuum as reported in most previous studies, the medium loss and heterogeneity will affect the focusing performance of the LHM lens. Numerical simulations indicate that the medium loss will degrade the focusing resolution, while the heterogeneity of random variability within ±30% will affect the focusing resolution to a limited extent. Both the loss and heterogeneity of the medium will shift the focal point away from the image plane. When focusing in a medium with different permittivity values, an LHM lens will also have different focusing resolutions due to different electric thicknesses.     

新型小型化的平面左手介质微带线及其后向波特性验证

基于裂缝谐振环结构的降频技术,首先设计了一种电尺寸较小的左手介质微带线单元,并根据电磁波在微带线上的传输和反射数据,分别计算了左手介质的有效介电常数和有效磁导率.之后针对左手介质八元阵列进行三维电磁仿真实验,结果表明该八元阵列在左手介质频段上具有独特的后向波效应,从而证实了该左手介质频段的存在.与传统的左手介质微带单元相比,阐述的左手介质单元的电尺寸减小了60%,而且结构简单,便于加工,适用于平面电路器件的小型化等应用研究工作. 关键词： 左手介质 小型化 双负特性 后向波特性     

A polarization-dependent wide-angle three-dimensional metamaterial absorber

In this paper, a polarization-dependent wide-angle three-dimensional metamaterial absorber with a near-unity absorbance was presented. The metamaterial absorber structure is composed of coplanar electric and magnetic resonators. By carefully adjusting the structural dimensions, less-than-unity ε and/or μ can be realized. To match the impedance of free space, the structural dimensions were adjusted so that ε=μ, which guarantees minimum reflection. Since the resonance-based structure is made of metallic resonators and lossy substrates, the imaginary part of refractive index is large, which guarantees strong absorption of transmitted waves. Full-wave simulations confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed three-dimensional metamaterial absorber.     

Lamellar model of the left-handed metamaterials composed of metallic split-ring resonators and wires

Left-handed materials composed of split ring resonators (SRRs) and wires are investigated in the viewpoint of lamellar composite with epsilon-negative (ENG) and mu-negative (MNG) materials staked alternatively. Several configurations of the SRR-wire metamaterial are numerically simulated to confirm its left-handed response as an analogy to the ENG-MNG lamellar model.     

Focusing and phase compensation of paraxial beams by a left-handed material slab

On the basis of angular spectrum representation, a formalism describing paraxial beams propagating through an isotropic left-handed material (LHM) slab is presented. The treatment allows us to introduce the ideas of beam focusing and phase compensation by LHM slab. Because of the negative refractive index of LHM slab, the inverse Gouy phase shift and the negative Rayleigh length of paraxial Gaussian beam are proposed. It is shown that the phase difference caused by the Gouy phase shift in right-handed material (RHM) can be compensated by that caused by the inverse Gouy phase shift in LHM. If certain matching conditions are satisfied, the intensity and phase distributions at object plane can be completely reconstructed at the image plane.     

Lateral shifts of an optical beam in an anisotropic metamaterial slab

The lateral shift of a light beam at the surface of an anisotropic metamaterial slab is investigated. Analytical expressions of the lateral shifts are derived using the stationary-phase method, in the case that total reflection does and does not occur at the first interface. The sign of the lateral shift in two situations is discussed, and the necessary conditions for the lateral shift to be positive or negative are given. It is shown that the thickness and physical parameters of the anisotropic metamaterial slab, as well as the incident angle of the light beam, strongly affect the properties of the lateral shift, and numerical results validate these conclusions. The effect of a lossy metamaterial on the lateral shift is also investigated. A restriction on the thickness of the slab is obtained, which is necessary for the stationary-phase method to remain valid.     

Effects of Parameter Modulation on Near-Field Imaging in Photonic Crystal Consisting of Alternately Left-Handed Material and Right-Handed Material

By means of the transfer-matrix method, the effects of parameter modulation on the quality of near-field imaging in one-dimensional photonic crystal consisting of alternately left-handed material and right-handed material are investigated. Based on analyses of the recovery rate and phase shift, the results show that the imaging quality is not obviously affected by the minor changes of layer thickness. In addition, by modulating the material parameters of the left-handed material, it is found that for both the real part and the imaginary part, the system is more sensitive to the permeability than the permittivity for the TE wave. For the TM wave, it is reverse. These properties are very useful to fabricate left-handed material photonic crystals in practice.     

Light propagation in anisotropic metamaterials. II. Reflection from the half-space

We consider reflection of light from half-space of anisotropic metamaterial at arbitrary direction of optical axis in the plane of light incidence. We obtain conditions at which total reflection and refraction do not depend on the polarization of incident light and the reflection does not depend on also the angle of incidence. We also study the possibilities and conditions for using the considered system as beam splitter, omnidirectional reflector, phase retarder, and so on.     

Tunable Effect of Double-Connective Dendritic Left-Handed Metamaterials Based on Electrorheological Fluids

We present double-connective dendritic unit pairs which exhibit the left-handed property for electromagnetic wave normal incidence. Based on the tunable characteristics of electrorheological fluids （ERF） as the electric field, we experimentally study the influence of the distance of electrodes, the number of stacked layers, and the intensity of the external electric field upon the ERF to the left-handed transmission peak of the double-connective dendritic structure. The results show that the transmission could be enhanced with the increase of distance or the number of layers. Furthermore, by changing the intensity of the electric fields, the left-handed transmission peak can be modulated actively, and the maximum shift is up to 160 MHz.     

Giant and negative bistable shifts for one-dimensional photonic crystal containing a nonlinear metamaterial defect

In this Letter, we investigate giant and negative bistable lateral shifts for a light beam transmitted through a one-dimensional photonic crystal containing a nonlinear metamaterial defect. It is shown that there exists a typical S-shaped curve of the normalized input-output intensity. The hysteresis of lateral shift, resulting from the reshaping effect (constructive and destructive interferences of each plane wave components undergoing different phase shifts) is dependent on the nonlinear defect, the incident intensity and incidence angle. Numerical simulations are also made for the validity of stationary phase approach. All these phenomena lead to potential applications in integrated optics and optical switches.     

Positive and Negative Lateral Shifts from an Anisotropic Metamaterial Slab Backed by a Metal

The lateral shift of a light beam at the surface of an anisotropic metamaterial (AMM) slab backed by a metal is investigated. Analytical expressions of the lateral shifts are derived using the stationary-phase method, in the case that total reflection does and does not occur at the first interface. The sign of the lateral shift in two situations is discussed, and the necessary conditions for the lateral shift to be positive or negative are given. It is shown that the thickness and physical parameters of the AMM slab and the incident angle of the light beam strongly affect the properties of the lateral shift. Numerical results validate these conclusions. The lossy effect of the metamaterial on the lateral shift is also investigated.     

基于双梯形金属条的二维超材料性能分析

提出了一种基于平行金属条和细金属线的双梯形二维超材料结构单元.该结构由介质板以及其两侧放置的一对反向对称梯形金属条组成.与传统二维超材料相比,该结构在电磁波平行入射时具有双左手频带特性,在电磁波双向入射情况下具有良好的左手频带拓展性,且结构易于制备.利用电磁仿真软件分别模拟电磁波垂直入射和平行入射条件下该结构的电磁性能.结果表明:该结构在两种入射情况下均能实现双负特性;梯形上底每增大0.5mm,双入射情况下结构的双负特性分别向高频移动0.2GHz和0.4GHz.该研究对基于平行金属条的左手材料的研究以及二维左手材料的发展具有参考价值.