Negative refraction through an impedance-matched left-handed metamaterial slab

We report the transmission and reflection characteristics of a two-dimensional (2D) left-handed metamaterial (LHM). A well-defined left-handed (LH) transmission band with a peak value of -9.9 dB is obtained at frequencies where both effective permittivity and permeability are negative. A very sharp dip (-38 dB) at the reflection spectrum due to impedance matching at the surface of a 2D LHM is observed. Gaussian beam shifting experiments are performed to study the LH properties of a LHM structure. The structure has a negative refraction of electromagnetic waves in a certain frequency range. The negative refractive index values obtained for four different incident angles are in good agreement. © 2006 Optical Society of America.