title: Overcoming losses with gain in a negative refractive index metamaterial.
abstract: On the basis of a full-vectorial three-dimensional Maxwell-Bloch approach we investigate the possibility of using gain to overcome losses in a negative refractive index fishnet metamaterial. We show that appropriate placing of optically pumped laser dyes (gain) into the metamaterial structure results in a frequency band where the nonbianisotropic metamaterial becomes amplifying. In that region both the real and the imaginary part of the effective refractive index become simultaneously negative and the figure of merit diverges at two distinct frequency points.
authors.affiliation: Advanced Technology Institute and Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU27XH Surrey, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wuestner
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pusch
authors.forename: Kosmas L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Tsakmakidis
authors.forename: Joachim M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hamm
authors.forename: Ortwin
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hess