Magnetically tunable negative permeability metamaterial composed by split ring resonators and ferrite rods

We experimentally demonstrate a tunable negative permeability metamaterial (NPM) at microwave frequencies by introducing yttrium iron garnet (YIG) rods into a periodic array of split ring resonators (SRRs). Different from those tuned by controlling the capacitance of equivalent LC circuit of SRR, this metamaterial is based on a mechanism of magnetically tuning the inductance via the active ambient effective permeability. For magnetic fields from 0 to 2000 Oe and from 3200 to 6000 Oe, the resonance frequencies of the metamaterial can blueshift about 350 MHz and redshift about 315 MHz, respectively. Both shifts are completely continuous and reversible. Correspondingly, the tunable negative permeabilities are widened by about 360 MHz and 200 MHz compared to that without YIG rods. (c) 2008 Optical Society of America.