Optical negative-index bulk metamaterials consisting of 2D perforated metal-dielectric stacks

Numerical simulations of a near-infrared negative-index metamaterial ( NIM) slab consisting of multiple layers of perforated metal-dielectric stacks exhibiting a small imaginary part of the index over the wavelength range for negative refraction are presented. A consistent effective index is obtained using both scattering matrix and modal analysis approaches. Backward phase propagation is verified by calculation of fields inside the metamaterial. The NIM figure of merit, [-Re(n)/Im(n)], for these structures is improved by similar to 10 x compared with previous reports, establishing a new approach to thick, low-loss metamaterials at infrared and optical frequencies. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.