Surface modes at the interface of conventional and left-handed media

Surface p- and s-polarized stationary waves propagating along the interface between left-handed electromagnetic meta-material with three types of conventional materials: dielectrics, metals, and magnetic media with negative magnetic permeability mu(omega) are studied. The constraints for the existence of surface modes are identified. It is shown that the frequency domains of existence for p- and s-modes do not overlap and they are quite different for different types of interfaces. The Poynting vector and the density of energy associated with surface mode are calculated. Depending on the system parameters either p- or s-surface mode has the time-averaged Poynting vector directed opposite to the mode phase velocity. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.