Negative Refraction and Left-handed electromagnetism in Microwave Photonic Crystals

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates negative refraction of microwaves in metallic photonic crystals, showing agreement with theoretical models and revealing a mechanism distinct from metamaterials for achieving left-handed electromagnetism.

Contribution

It provides experimental evidence of negative refraction in photonic crystals and explains its origin from dispersion properties, differing from metamaterial-based approaches.

Findings

Negative refraction observed in metallic photonic crystals

Spectral response matches band-structure calculations

Negative refraction linked to left-handed electromagnetism

Abstract

We demonstrate negative refraction of microwaves in metallic photonic crystals. The spectral response of the photonic crystal, which manifests both positive and negative refraction, is in complete agreement with band-structure calculations and numerical simulations. The negative refraction observed corresponds to left-handed electromagnetism and arises due to the dispersion characteristics of waves in a periodic medium. This mechanism for negative refraction is different from that in metamaterials.