Dispertion relations in Left-Handed Materials

Massachusetts Institute of Technology 6.635 lecture notes

Introduction

We know already the following properties of LH media: 1. 2.

r r

and r are frequency dispersive. and r are negative over a similar frequency band.

) is left-handed. H, k 3. The tryad (E, 4. The index of refraction is negative. From the past lectures, we know that these materials can be realized by a succession of wires and rods: Periodic arrangement of rods: realizes a plasma medium with negative frequency band. The model for the permittivity is:
r r

over a certain

=1

2 ep . 2 + ie

(1)

Periodic arrangement of rings (split-rings) realizes a resonant r modeled as r = 1

2 F mp , 2 + i 2 mo m

(2)

where F is the fractional area of the unit cell occupied by the interior of the split-ring (F < 1). In the lossless case (e = m = 0), we can rewrite these two relations as:
2 2 ep , 2 2 2 F 2 2 b 2 0 r = = (1 F ) 2 2 , 2 0 2 0 r

(3a)
(3b)

where b = 0 / 1 F > 0 . Therefore:

Upon identifying the regions where relation for k :

2 )( 2 2 ) ( 2 ep 1 b k 2 = 2 = (1 F ) . 2 2 c 0
r

(4)

and r change signs, we can immediately get the

Section 2. Argument on n < 0

0 + +

b +

p + + +

r k2

The region [0 , b ], which also corresponds to r < 0 and r < 0, corresponds to positive, which means k real. Therefore, there is propagation in this band, but not in the adjacent ones. k2 It may still not be clear that k is negative, even if we write k = 2 = 2
2 2 r r 0 0

= k0 n .

(5)

A demonstration of the fact that n is negative follows.

2
2.1

Argument on n < 0
Complex Poynting theorem

We shall rst recall the derivation of the complex Poynting theorem and the signication of the various terms. We start from Maxwells curl equation = i B , E = i D +J . H (6a) (6b)

and substracting the complex conjugate of Eq. (6b) mulUpon multiplying Eq. (6a) by H we get: tuplied by E E E H = (E H ) H H i D E J E = i B H E D ]E J . = i [B Upon rewriting, we get: J = (E H ) + i [E D B H ]. E (8)

(7)

On the right-hand side of the equation, the rst terms corresponds to the divergence of Poyting power, which is therefore positive. The second term relates to the complex EM energy, and is therefore also positive. Consequently, the left-hand side term must also be positive, and to the volume. actually corresponds to the power supplied by J We shall use this result hereafter.

2.2

1D wave equation

For the sake of simplication, let us work with a 1D problem. The wave equation ( ( ( 2 E r) + k2 E r) = iJ r) , is rewritten with ( E r) = z E (x) , ( J r) = z j0 (x x0 ) , to yield 2 E (x) + k 2 E (x) = ij0 (x x0 ) . x2 The solution to this equation is E (x) = eik|xx0 | , where needs to be determined. From Eq. (12), we write: 1. First derivative: E (x) = ik |x x0 | eik|xx0 | . x x2 (10a) (10b) (9)

(11)

(12)

(13)

2. Second derivative: 2 E (x) 2 = ik |x x0 | eik|xx0 | + (k 2 )( 2 |x x0 |)2 eik|xx0 | 2 2 x x x 2 ik|xx0 | = k e + 2ik (x x0 ) . Therefore: 2 E (x) + k 2 E (x) =2ik (x x0 ) = 2i k0 n (x x0 ) . x2 Comparing Eq. (11) to Eq. (15), we get = so that nally the solution is: E (x) = j0 0 r ik|xx0 | e . 2 n (17) j 0 0 r j0 = , 2k0 n 2 n (16) (15)

(14)

to the volume: If we now compute the power supplied by the current J P = 1 2

2 J dV = 0 j0 r > 0 . E 4 n

(18)

The source must, on average, do positive work on the eld. Yet, in LH regime, we have r < 0 so that we must have n < 0 as well.

Section 3. Dispersion relations

eld as: Finally, we can also write the E E (x, t) = j0 ei(k0 n|xx0 |t) . 2 (19)

Thus, plane waves appear to propagate from and + to the source, seemingly running backward in time. Yet, the work done on the eld is positive so clearly the energy propagates outward from the source.

Dispersion relations

At this point, we know that n < 0 and k < 0. The dierence between phase and group velocity can be directly seen on the dispersion relation diagram. , kz kz vg =

v =

(20a)
1

(20b)

Free-space: k = Metamaterial:

where

= cte and = cte.

Let us take the following models

2 p , r 2 + ie 2 2 mp mo , r =1 2 2 + i mo m

=1

(21a) (21b)

3.1

Lossless case (e = m = 0), mp = p

We rewrite
2 2 p , r 2 2 2 mp , r = 2 2 mo

(22a) (22b) (22c)

and plot the relations with

p mp mo e = m
k surface x 10 4 [rad/s]
10

= = = =

20e9 rad/s 20e9 rad/s 5e9 rad/s 0

3 2.5 2 x 10
6

Dispersion relation

k
2 0 k 2
z

1.5 1

0 x 10
6

2 0 2 k
x

0.5
6

x 10

Relative permittivity
50 300 200 100

10 [rad/s] x 10 Relative permeability

0 1 2 3 x 10 4
10

r
0 100 200 0

50

[rad/s]

[rad/s]

3 x 10

4
10

x 10

10

k surface (Gamma= 0)

3.5

2.5 [rad/s]

1.5

0.5

0 3

0 kz

2 x 10

3
6

3.1

Lossless case (e = m = 0), mp = p

Other cases follow. p mp mo e = m

k surface x 10 4 3 [rad/s] 2
10

= = = =

30e9 rad/s 20e9 rad/s 5e9 rad/s 0 rad/s

4 x 10
6

Dispersion relation

0 2 x 10
6

k
0 k 2
z

1 0 k
x

2 x 10
6

Relative permittivity
50 300 200 100 0

10 [rad/s] x 10 Relative permeability

r
0 100 0 1 2 3 x 10 4
10

50

200

[rad/s]

[rad/s]

3 x 10

4
10

x 10

10

k surface (Gamma= 0)

3.5

2.5 [rad/s]

1.5

0.5

0 4

0 k

3 x 10

4
6

p mp mo e = m
k surface x 10 4
10

= = = =

30e9 rad/s 20e9 rad/s 5e9 rad/s 10e7 rad/s

4 x 10
6

Dispersion relation

3 [rad/s] 2

0 2 x 10
6

k
0 kz 2 2 k
x

1 0 2 x 10
6

Relative permittivity
50 300 200 100 0

10 [rad/s] x 10 Relative permeability

r
0 100 0 1 2 3 x 10 4
10

50

200

[rad/s]

[rad/s]

3 x 10

4
10

x 10

10

k surface (Gamma= 100000000)

3.5

2.5 [rad/s]

1.5

0.5

0 4

0 k

3 x 10

4
6

3.1

Lossless case (e = m = 0), mp = p

p mp mo e = m
k surface x 10 4 [rad/s]
10

= = = =

30e9 rad/s 20e9 rad/s 5e9 rad/s 10e8 rad/s

2.5 2 1.5 x 10
6

Dispersion relation

k
1 0 kz 2 2 k
x

0 2 2 0 x 10
6

0.5 0

x 10

Relative permittivity
50 60 40 20 0

10 [rad/s] x 10 Relative permeability

r
0 20 0 1 2 3 x 10 4
10

50

40

[rad/s]

[rad/s]

3 x 10

4
10

x 10

10

k surface (Gamma= 1000000000)

3.5

2.5 [rad/s]

1.5

0.5

0 2.5

1.5

0.5

0 k

0.5

1.5

2 x 10

2.5
6

p mp mo e = m
k surface x 10 4 [rad/s]
10

= = = =

30e9 rad/s 20e9 rad/s 5e9 rad/s 10e9 rad/s

3 2.5 2 x 10
7

Dispersion relation

k
2 0 kz 2 2 kx 2 0 x 10
7

1.5 1

0 0.5 0 0 1 2 3 4 x 10
7

Relative permittivity
2 0 2 20 15 10

10 [rad/s] x 10 Relative permeability

4 6 8

0 1 2 3 x 10 4
10

r
5 0 5 0

[rad/s]

[rad/s]

3 x 10

4
10

x 10

10

k surface (Gamma= 1.000000e+10)

3.5

2.5 [rad/s]

1.5

0.5

0 4

0 k

3 x 10

4
7

10

3.1

Lossless case (e = m = 0), mp = p

p mp mo e = m
k surface x 10 4 [rad/s]
10

= = = =

30e9 rad/s 20e9 rad/s 5e9 rad/s 10e10 rad/s

5 4 3 x 10
7

Dispersion relation

k
2 2 1 0 kz 2 2 0 kx 2 4 x 10
7

0 4 x 10
7

Relative permittivity
0.966 0.966

10 [rad/s] x 10 Relative permeability

0.962

r
0 1 2 3 x 10 4
10

0.964

0.964

0.962

0.96

0.96

[rad/s]

[rad/s]

3 x 10

4
10

x 10

10

k surface (Gamma= 1.000000e+11)

3.5

2.5 [rad/s]

1.5

0.5

0 5

0 k

4 x 10

5
7

11

Plotting all the 3D curves on the same scale:

x 10 4

10

k surface (Gamma= 0) 4

x 10

10

k surface (Gamma= 10000000)

3.5

3.5

2.5 [rad/s] [rad/s]

2.5

1.5

1.5

0.5

0.5

0 5 0 x 10
6

0 5 0 5 k 5 kz 0 x 10
6

5 x 10
6

5 x 10
6

kx

 



!#"$&%'#(*)+,

x 10 4

10

k surface (Gamma= 100000000)

4

x 10

10

k surface (Gamma= 1000000000)

3.5

3.5

2.5 [rad/s] 0 x 10
6

2.5

[rad/s]

1.5

1.5

0.5

0.5

0 5 5 x 10
6

0 5 0 5 5 0 x 10
6

5 x 10
6

kx

kz

kx

kz

.-/0

!#"#1&%2'(*)+,

.34

!#"5&%'#(*)+,

x 10 4

10

k surface (Gamma= 1.000000e+10)

4

x 10

10

k surface (Gamma= 1.000000e+11)

3.5

3.5

2.5 [rad/s] [rad/s] 0 x 10

6

2.5

1.5

1.5

0.5

0.5

0 5 5 x 10
6

0 5 0 5 5 0 x 10
6

5 x 10
6

kx

kz

kx

kz

.6*7

!#"8&%2'(*)+,

90

!#":!&%'()+,

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q ] l Vxzy=`KLSK l n g|{/}/~

LSQ/c@:Ix l vn

12

3.1

Lossless case (e = m = 0), mp = p

For simplicity, we can study the lossy case for e = m amd mo = 0 (although we dont really simulate the same medium, the fundamental behavior is similar, and simpler to carry out mathematically). The model therefore reads:
2 + i 2 p . = r = 2 + i

(23)

We compute:
2 + i 2 p 2 + i 2 + i ] [ 2 i ] [ 2 p = 4 + 2 2 2 2 2 ) + 2 2 + i 2 ( p p = . 4 + 2 2

r r

(24a) The real part is given by: {

r r }

2 2 )] 2 [ 2 (p . 4 + 2 2

(25)

Losses have the eect to lower the plasma frequency to p =

2 2 . p

(26)

In addition, we also see that if is very large, the plasma eect will completey dissapear (cf. dispersion relation for = 10e10 rad/s).