title: Negative refractive index metamaterials from inherently non-magnetic materials for deep infrared to terahertz frequency ranges.
abstract: We present a new set of artificial structures which can exhibit a negative refractive index band in excess of 6% in a broad frequency range from the deep infrared to the terahertz region. The structures are composites of two different kinds of non-overlapping spheres, one made from inherently non-magnetic polaritonic and the other from a Drude-like material. The polaritonic spheres are responsible for the existence of negative effective magnetic permeability whilst the Drude-like spheres are responsible for negative effective electric permittivity. The resulting negative refractive index structures are truly subwavelength structures with wavelength-to-structure ratio 14:1, which is almost 50% higher than has been previously achieved. Our results are explained in the context of the extended Maxwell-Garnett theory and are reproduced by calculations based on the layer Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker method, an ab initio multiple scattering theory. The role of absorption in the constituent materials is discussed. Effective medium computer F77 code is freely available at http://www.wave-scattering.com.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science, School of Natural Sciences, University of Patras, GR-26504 Patras, Greece.
authors.forename: Vassilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Yannopapas
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moroz