Equivalent perfect magnetic conductor based on epsilon-near-zero media

We propose a kind of equivalent perfect magnetic conductor (EPMC) based on epsilon-near-zero media containing the dielectric defects. It is found that such an EPMC can be arbitrarily shaped and works for all incident angles for transverse magnetic waves. When resonances occur inside the dielectric defects with nodes of magnetic fields located at the boundaries of defects, the epsilon-near-zero media can enforce such near zero magnetic fields to the outer boundaries, making the whole system work as an EPMC. Through inspecting the scatterings, blocking effects and applications of perfect absorption, we verify the good performance of the EPMC even when large losses are taken into account. Our study provides flexible ways to mitigate the realizations of EPMC from the microwave regime to the infrared/visible one. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.