Metamaterials modelling, fabrication and characterisation techniques

Metamaterials are artificially designed media that show averaged properties not yet encountered in nature. Among such properties, the possibility of obtaining optical magnetism and negative refraction are the ones mainly exploited but epsilon-near-zero and sub-unitary refraction index are also parameters that can be obtained. Such behaviour enables unprecedented applications. Within this work, we will present various aspects of metamaterials research field that we deal with at our department. From the modelling part, we will present tour approach for determining the field enhancement in slits that have dimensions in the 104 times smaller than the incident wavelength. This huge difference makes it almost impossible for commercial software to handle thus analytical approached have to be employed. From the fabrication point of view, various 2D and 3D high resolution patterning techniques are used. The talk will describe the ones available within our group. We will present the electron-beam lithography approach for fabricating nano-antennae to be used in coupling of plasmonics waveguides to/from free space. Also, a 3D technique based on two-photon-polymerisation and isotropic metal deposition to fabricate metal-covered 3D photonic crystals will be discussed. From the measuring side we will present two THz based setups for obtaining material's characteristics, both in the low as well as in the high THz range, thus having the possibility of describing a material from 0.1 to 10THz.