title: From scattering parameters to Snell's law: a subwavelength near-infrared negative-index metamaterial.
abstract: A general relation is derived between the band structure of an arbitrary low-loss unit cell and its effective index of refraction. In addition, we determine the maximum unit cell size that defines the "metamaterial regime" [D. R. Smith et al., Phys. Rev. E 71, 036617 (2005)]. Furthermore, these general rules allow for the design of a subwavelength near-infrared negative-index material, where the negative refractive index is verified by band calculations to be a bulk property. Full-wavelength simulations of prisms consisting of these unit cells suggest behavior consistent with Snell's law in the negative-index regime.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Michigan 48109-1040, USA.
authors.forename: Xuhuai
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Davanço
authors.forename: Yaroslav
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Urzhumov
authors.forename: Gennady
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shvets
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Forrest