Nonlinear properties of split-ring resonators

In this letter, the properties of split-ring resonators (SRRs) loaded with high-Q capacitors and nonlinear varactors are theoretically analyzed and experimentally measured. We demonstrate that the resonance frequency f(m) of the nonlinear SRRs can be tuned by increasing the incident power. fm moves to lower and higher frequencies for the SRR loaded with one varactor and two back-to-back varactors, respectively. For high incident powers, we observe bistable tunable metamaterials and hysteresis effects. Moreover, the coupling between two nonlinear SRRs is also discussed. (c) 2008 Optical Society of America