title: Longitudinal elliptically polarized electromagnetic waves in off-diagonal magnetoelectric split-ring composites.
abstract: We study the propagation of plane electromagnetic waves through different systems consisting of arrays of split rings of different orientations. Many extraordinary EM phenomena were discovered in such systems, contributed by the off-diagonal magnetoelectric susceptibilities. We find a mode such that the electric field becomes elliptically polarized with a component in the longitudinal direction (i.e. parallel to the wavevector). Even though the group velocity [Formula: see text] and the wavevector k are parallel, in the presence of damping, the Poynting vector does not just get 'broadened', but can possess a component perpendicular to the wavevector. The speed of light can be real even when the product ϵμ is negative. Other novel properties are explored.
authors.affiliation: Bartol Research Institute and Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19716, USA.
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Chui
authors.forename: Weihua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Z F
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Lin