Random negative index material structures in a three-dimensional volume

摘要

Materials and methods for fabricating and using negative index materials are disclosed. A negative index material comprises a three-dimensional volume including a bulk solution and a plurality of unit cells disposed in the bulk solution in a substantially random pattern. Each unit cell comprises a periodic hole array pattern on a substrate or a resonator formed on a first surface of a substrate, and a thin wire pattern formed on a second surface of the substrate. The combination of the unit cells in the bulk solution produces a negative effective permeability and a negative effective permittivity over a frequency band of interest for the three-dimensional volume. The negative index material may be used to focus radiation by directing an incident radiation at the negative index material and generating a focused radiation by a negative refraction of the incident radiation in the negative index material.