A simple design method of negative refractive index metamaterials

We propose a very simple design method of negative refractive index (NRI) materials that can overcome some drawbacks of conventional resonant-type NRI materials. The proposed NRI materials consist of single or double metallic patterns printed on a dielectric substrate. Our metamaterials (MTMs) show two properties that are different from other types of MTMs in obtaining effective negative values of permittivity (epsilon) and permeability (mu) simultaneously; the geometrical outlines of the metallic patterns are not confined within any specific shape, and the metallic patterns are printed on only one side of the dielectric substrate. Therefore, they are very easy to design and fabricate using common printed circuit board (PCB) technology according to the appropriate application. Excellent agreement between the experiment and prediction data ensures the validity of our design approach.