Single-mode subwavelength waveguides with wire metamaterials

TL;DR

This paper investigates the eigenmodes of wire metamaterial slabs, showing they support deep-subwavelength, single-mode propagation below the plasma frequency, with analytical and experimental validation.

Contribution

It introduces a novel understanding of waveguiding in wire metamaterials supporting single-mode, deep-subwavelength propagation at any fixed frequency below plasma frequency.

Findings

Supports deep-subwavelength single-mode propagation

Analytical and experimental dispersion relations agree

Operates below the plasma frequency of metal wires

Abstract

We study the eigenmodes of a slab of a wire metamaterial and demonstrate that such a waveguiding structure supports deep-subwavelength propagating modes exhibiting properties of a single-mode waveguide at any fixed frequency below the plasma frequency of metal wires. We compare our analytical results with the dispersion relations extracted from the experimental measurements.