Theoretical and experimental investigation of negative index fishnet metamaterial multilayers in the Q-band

We investigate the electromagnetic properties of stacked metamaterial layers composed of modified fishnet structures at around 40?GHz. The designed planar multilayer exhibits theoretically high transmission of ?0.5?dB, low reflection, and a large negative index bandwidth with a record figure of merit higher than 36 at 38.5?GHz. Good agreement between simulation and measurement results is observed. We also verify experimentally the resolution of the negative index metamaterial stack and the focusing ability of the plano-concave lens configuration.     

Influence of the substrate on negative index fishnet metamaterials

We analyze numerically the influence of the dielectric substrate on the optical response and effective macroscopic parameters of fishnet metamaterials. We show that the substrate can suppress the region of the negative refractive index due to the weakening of the gap plasmon associated with the magnetic resonance of the structure. We also demonstrate that the effect of substrate vanishes when the number of the functional layers increases.     

光波段多频负折射率超材料

从光波段圆孔形双鱼网结构的负折射材料模型出发,采用基于有限积分技术的CST软件系统研究了原胞结构的改变对负折射行为的影响.数值仿真结果表明,对原胞结构做微小调节也可获得负折射率频带的增大效应.将双鱼网结构改为阶梯形孔洞和半球形孔洞结构,可以在更多的频段里出现负折射率,并且谐振频率发生了一定的红移.半球形孔洞的双鱼网结构可以方便地用化学模板法制备,这为从实验上实现红外及可见光波段的多频负折射材料提供了一种简单可行的方法. 关键词： 负折射率 多频段 双鱼网结构     

Hybridization influence on the plasmon-mediated lasing effect in active metamaterials

The plasmon-mediated lasing with orders of magnitude amplification is available for a double-fishnet structure, however, it gradually disappears for multilayered fishnet stacks because of the layer-to-layer plasmon hybridization, while instead a broadened incoherent transmission with full loss compensation can always be obtained regardless of the stacking layers.     

Numerical Study of Low-Loss Cross Left-Handed Metamaterials at Visible Frequency

We present a numerical study of left-handed metamaterials （LHMs） composed of double cross pairs at visible frequency. The S-parameter retrieval method is adopted to confirm the negative refractive characteristic of this design. Compared with fishnet LHMs~ the proposed cross LHMs have a much lower loss, which will greatly facilitate practical applications. It is also found that, with the same size of resonant cells, the cross LHMs have a higher frequency than fishnet LHMs, which is explained using a simple effective LC circuit model.     

Broadband 3D isotropic negative-index metamaterial based on fishnet structure

In this paper, we numerically demonstrate a broadband 3D isotropic negative index metamaterial (NIM) at microwave frequency ranges, which is composed of double periodic array metallic fishnet structure (FS) etched on the six sides of a cubic dielectric substrate. The electric and magnetic L-C resonance circuit models are constructed to demonstrate the broadband resonance properties of the proposed 3D metamaterial. The finite integration technology (FIT) simulation and standard S parameters retrieval methods are used to calculate and analyze the negative characteristics, isotropy and polarization of the 3D model. The numerical results show that the negative index bandwidth is about 7 GHz and relative bandwidth can be up nearly to 63%, the negative-index pass band is independent of the polarization of incident waves and is almost the same for different oblique incident angles. Thus, the proposed metamaterial is good candidate as a broad-band 3D isotropic NIMs.     

All-angle broadband negative refraction of metal waveguide arrays in the visible range: theoretical analysis and numerical demonstration

In this Letter, we introduce a simple metal waveguide array for realizing all-angle wide frequency bandwidth negative refraction from the visible to infrared frequencies. Theoretical analysis from the rigorous coupled-wave theory reveals that the negative coupling constant resulting from the anomalous coupling of guided surface plasmon polariton modes contributes to the negative refraction. The analytical results are confirmed by finite-difference time-domain numerical simulations. Our result provides an alternative way to construct robust all-angle negative refractive materials operating in a wide range of frequency from the near-infrared to the visible range.     

Low-loss optical magnetic metamaterials on Ag–Au bimetallic fishnets

We have designed a low-loss magnetic metamaterial with double-fishnet structures of silver and gold operating at near-infrared wavelength. A Particle swarm optimization algorithm was employed to optimize the geometry dimensions of Ag–dielectric–Au unit cell. The Ag–Au bimetallic fishnet produces a maximum figure of merit value of 21, transmission as high as 62%, moderate negative permeability Re(μ) of −0.5, and Re(n) of −1 at 1463 nm. The negative permeability Re(μ) reaches minimum value of −5 at 1573 nm, where the antisymmetric charge distribution in fishnet metamaterials was observed. The antisymmetric plasmonic resonance at 1573 nm is a mixed mode of asymmetric magnetic dipole and symmetric electrical quadrupole in Ag–MgF₂–Au fishnet structures.     

Geometrical dependence of optical negative index meta-materials at 1.55 μm

We have studied the geometry dependency of fishnet-like negative refractive index meta-materials (NIMs), and developed a process to fabricate such NIMs using nanoimprint lithography (NIL) in a controlled way for it to achieve negative refractive index in the desired frequency range. As an example, we fabricated a fishnet structure with a minimum negative refractive index of −1.7 at 1560 nm, which was only 10 nm off the targeted wavelength of 1550 nm.     

一种性能稳定的新型频率选择表面及其微带天线应用

设计了一种基于分形树结构的高性能频率选择表面(frequency selective surface,FSS),并将其作为微带天线的空间滤波器,同时改善天线的辐射与散射性能.该FSS单元是由两层金属及其中间介质组成,上、下层金属采用金属柱连结,整体构成树枝状分形结构.通过优化参数,得到了一种宽带、极化无关、宽入射角、小型化的超薄FSS,厚度只有约0.017λ.将该FSS应用于微带天线后,天线的相对带宽拓展到40%,工作频段内的增益得到改善,9.6 GHz时,天线的增益提高了6.7 dB,同时,天线工作频带内的雷达散射截面(radar cross section,RCS)也得到了明显减缩,最大减缩为12.7 dB.实验结果与仿真结果符合得较好,证实了该空间滤波器具有提高宽带天线增益、增强天线定向性、改善天线带宽与降低天线带内RCS的效果,可以应用于宽带天线带内辐射与散射性能的同时改善.     

Terahertz bandpass filters using double-stacked metamaterial layers

Bandpass filters are reported based on double-stacked metamaterial layers separated by an air gap for operation at terahertz frequencies. Several stacking configurations were investigated designed for a ~0.5 THz center frequency. The filters exhibited improved spectral transmission properties when compared with conventional ones based on single metamaterial layers. 3 dB bandwidth of ~78 GHz and sidelobe suppression ratio >16 dB were determined when symmetric or asymmetric double layers were stacked. We demonstrate that superior frequency selectivity can be achieved when metamaterial layers with different unit cells are used. Good agreement was found between measured and simulated transmission response.     

In-plane plasmonic modes of negative group velocity in perforated waveguides

Eigenmodes in a typical perforated metal-insulator-metal waveguide structure have been analyzed. It is shown that the lowest eigenmode originates from a plasmonic waveguide mode between metallic layers and has net negative group velocity on the lower branch under TM polarization. The negative group velocity is directly derived from the dispersion curve in the plane of in-plane wave number and photon energy, and is responsible for the negative refraction effect reported in fishnet metamaterials.     

A wide band left handed material with high transmission

In this study, we propose guidelines to optimize the transmission and bandwidth of left handed materials (LHM) composed of two-dimensional lattice of metallic wires interleaved with double split ring resonators (SRRs). Several LHM structures are fabricated to test the proposed rules of design and operate between 7 and 14 GHz. In a first step, we show that adding extra SRR layers within each period of wire layers (i.e. interleaving the wire lattice with several SRR lattices) increases the transmittance of the material. In a second step, we demonstrate that adding extra SRR layers in a non-equidistant manner (i.e. inserting several SRR lattices shifted one another by different distances) widens the LHM frequency bandwidth. The results of experimental characterization are found to be in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions. A LHM behavior is obtained in a wide frequency band of 1 GHz around 8.2 GHz with a transmission of −1.2 dB measured at resonance. The negative refraction of the material is verified from measurements at oblique incidence.     

Numerical simulations of terahertz double-negative metamaterial with isotropic-like fishnet structure

The isotropic-like fishnet metamaterial with an array of cross-shaped holes penetrating through the multiple layers has been numerically studied in the terahertz regime. Its left-handed properties are described by the retrieved effect media parameters and validated by the simulation of a wedge-shaped model. The influences of the various geometrical parameters on the electromagnetic response and the left-handed performance are investigated. This isotropic-like fishnet metamaterial has the advantage of lower losses and higher transmission and holds potential for further applications at higher frequencies.     

等离子体辅助平板波导的传输特性及应用研究

如何灵活地控制和操纵太赫波是目前研究的热点. 根据电磁波传输理论, 导出了等离子体辅助平板波导的场分布和色散关系表达式, 计算了其传输特性, 并通过全波仿真进行了证实. 结果表明, 等离子体辅助平板波导具有带阻特性, 上边带截止频率等于等离子体频率, 等离子体层越薄, 下边带截止频率越高, 带宽越窄; 阻带内存在两种不同的物理机理, 一种与等离子体和中间媒质的谐振耦合有关, 另一种与表面波的形成有关. 此外, 本文还研究了等离子体频率及碰撞频率对传输特性的影响, 提出了通过改变等离子体频率调谐平板波导滤波器特性的方法. 同时, 采用褶皱金属结构实现了等离子体层, 设计了平板波导传感模型, 通过改变凹槽内的材料的介电常数仿真了其传感特性, 结果表明当材料的介电常数变化0.1%时, 平均截止频率变化1.8 GHz; 通过检测截止频率的变化, 传感器能明显分辨氮、汽油、液态石蜡、甘油和水, 证实了其优良的太赫传感特性. 这项工作对研究太赫波的传输及太赫器件的设计和制备具有指导意义.     

An improved fishnet three-dimensional metamaterial with multiband left-handed characteristics at terahertz frequencies

We present the design of a multiband left-handed three-dimensional (3D) metamaterial based on improved fishnet structure at terahertz frequencies. The design realizes a three-dimensional material by mechanical stacking of multiple layers. The electromagnetic properties of the metamaterial have been investigated by numerical simulation. The results show that simultaneously negative values of permittivity, permeability and refractive index are found around the frequencies of 0.73, 0.85 and 1.12 THz for the electromagnetic wave normal incidence. The proposed metamaterial with independent polarization and compact effect offers a way to develop THz 3D materials and devices suitable for multifrequencies.     

Transmission properties of electromagnetic metamaterials: From split-ring resonator to fishnet structure

We experimentally presented the electromagnetic behavior of transformative magnetic metamaterials: from the early invented split-ring resonator to its improvement, the cut-wire pair, for providing a negative magnetic permeability. By adding the continuous wire to cut-wire pair structure, the left-handed (LH) transmission made by doubly negative permittivity and permeability was demonstrated in combined structure. Interestingly, until the width of cut-wire pair increases to be physically merged with the adjacent continuous wire, in other words, to form the so-called fishnet structure, the LH behavior is still observed. This result indicates that in a broad sense, the essence of the electromagnetic response in the fishnet structure is similar to that in a combined structure. Our experimental results show a good agreement with previous theoretical study.     

Conversion from constitutive parameters to dispersive transmission line parameters for multi-band metamaterials

Abstract

In this study, we explain an approach including conversion from constitutive parameters to dispersive transmission line parameters using the double-band DNG (double-negative) properties of the circular type fishnet metamaterials. After designing the metamaterial structure, the numerical calculations and the composite right/left-handed (CRLH) modeling of circular-type metamaterials are realized in free space. Detailed dispersion characteristics give us the opportunity to explain the true behavior of the inclusions during the analysis stage. By combining the results coming from the standard retrieval procedure with the conventional CRLH theory, we calculate the actual values of the transmission line parameters for all frequency regimes. The constitutive parameters of an equivalent CRLH transmission line are derived and shown to be negative values. It is shown that the constitutive parameters present the same behavior for all negative refractive index regimes. The double-negative properties and the phase advance/lag behavior of metamaterials are observed based on the dispersive transmission line parameters.     

金属-介质-金属渔网超表面结构调控的荧光辐射：空间选择性激发和双增强

增强荧光辐射在生物成像、高灵敏探测、集成光源等方面都具有重要的应用价值.金属纳米颗粒的周围或者金属纳米结构的间隙都可以产生强的电磁场,相应的,这些结构附近的局域态密度也被极大地增强.虽然增强荧光辐射已经在多种金属纳米颗粒和颗粒对中被证明,但是利用金属纳米结构对荧光分子的吸收和辐射过程同时进行调制仍然是一个有挑战的问题.本文研究了金属-介质-金属超表面对荧光辐射的调控,其中局域表面等离激元(LSP)和磁等离激元(MPP)分別与于分子的吸收和辐射过程发中耦合相互作用.对于吸收过程,LSP的耦合作用使得可以通过旋转泵浦激光的偏振态来实现荧光分子的空间选择激发.此外,MPP模式的偏振依赖特性使得矩形渔网结构中的荧光分子的辐射波长和偏振态也受到调控.实验观测结果经过了时域有限差分模拟的验证.本文报道的纳米结构在光辐射器件和纳米尺度集成光源等方面都具有潜在的应用价值.     

Enhanced transmittance of a dual pass-band metamaterial filter

A broad pass-band metamaterial-based optical filter is experimentally and numerically studied. The designed structure consists of periodically arranged composite metallic arrays and dielectric layer that exhibits transmission responses composed of two flat pass-bands. The coupling of localized surface plasmon (LSP) modes results in the low-frequency pass-band, while the internal surface plasmon polaritons (ISPPs) between the upper and lower metal layers leads to the high-frequency pass-band. Structural parameters (L and R) are experimentally considered from the viewpoint of exploiting their effects on the pass-bands and resonance frequencies. The bandwidths of these pass-bands both can reach to maximums by optimization of these structural parameters. In addition, the two pass-bands can be modulated to be a single pass-band with a bandwidth of 10.7 THz by optimizing L and R simultaneously.