Design-related losses of double-fishnet negative-index photonic metamaterials

The literature regarding the influence of the hole shape on the performance, especially on the losses, of negative-index metamaterials on the basis of the so-called double-fishnet structure is unclear. We investigate this aspect in a systematic theoretical study showing that the figure of merit can differ by as much as a factor of 2.5 between rectangular and circular holes, respectively. (c) 2007 Optical Society of America.