Low-frequency and broad band metamaterial absorber: design, fabrication, and characterization

We report a metamaterial absorber (MA) with a broad absorption band in the frequency region of 2–4 GHz, whose thickness is not limited to the quarter-wavelength. Theoretical and experimental results show that the absorber has two adjacent absorption apexes at 2.24 and 3.46 GHz, respectively, which are both related to the electric and magnetic resonances of the metamaterial. The absorption is over 68% in the whole wave band of 2–4 GHz provided the thickness of 4 mm. The distributions of the surface currents and the power loss density indicate that the surface currents produced by the electric and magnetic resonances are strongly consumed by the resistive patches. This low-frequency absorber has potential applications in many scientific and martial fields.