Surface wave character on a slab of metamaterial with negative permittivity and permeability

Characteristics of surface wave modes on a grounded slab of negative permittivity and negative permeability parameters are investigated. It is shown that, unlike a slab with positive parameters, the dominant mode can have evanescent fields on both sides of the interface between the slab and the surrounding air. Detailed characteristics of such mode for various combinations of the slab parameters are given.