TABLE 4 Comparison of Return Loss between Practical

and Simulated Results WAVE PROPAGATION IN

METAMATERIAL MULTI-LAYERED
Harmonics
STRUCTURES
st
Duroid 1 2nd 3rd
H. Cory and C. Zach
Conventional patch Simulated S 11 (dB) ⫺33 ⫺8.6 ⫺7.2 Department of Electrical Engineering
Measured S 11 (dB) ⫺31.2 ⫺10.7 ⫺6.9 Technion–Israel Institute of Technology
Modified patch Simulated S 11 (dB) ⫺32 ⫺0.55 ⫺1.2 Haifa 32000, Israel
Measured S 11 (dB) ⫺27.2 ⫺0.91 ⫺2.9

RT Duroid 5870 with h ⫽ 1.575 mm. Received 14 August 2003

ABSTRACT: Expressions are given for the overall reflection and trans-
mission coefficients of a multilayered structure consisting of metamate-
rial and dielectric slabs. Small-reflection approximations are discussed.
Two applications are proposed: anti-reflection coatings and high-reflec-
tion coatings. For the first application, a structure consisting of two
slabs of the same width and opposite permittivities is studied. If the
structure is placed between two semi-infinite media of the same kind, the
reflection vanish, while if these two media are different, the reflection
depends only on their characteristics and on the angle of incidence.
This device could be advantageously used as an antenna radome. For
the second application, a structure consisting of a large number of iden-
tical pairs of slabs of high and low opposite permittivities and of the
same widths, embedded in the same medium, is studied. This structure’s
transmittance variation with frequency shows no ripples, and has a
Figure 17 Simulated and normalized E-field radiation pattern of the large passband and a monotonous quasi-symmetric rise to the right and
proposed patch. [Color figure can be viewed in the online issue, which is to the left of the central frequency. The distinctive feature of these de-
available at www.interscience.wiley.com] vices is the weakening of the influence of the frequency, the angle of
incidence or the polarization on the propagation processes. © 2004
positions of shorting pins and slots in order to reduce the second- Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 40: 460 – 465,
and third-harmonic modes. 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.
com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20005
The results obtained from modeling and measurement show
excellent agreement for the return loss. It is also shown that the
effect of the shorting pins and slots has a negligible effect on the Key words: metamaterial; multi-layer structure; wave propagation
resulting polar pattern of the patch antenna.
1. INTRODUCTION
REFERENCES
Veselago [1] has shown that the Poynting vector of a plane wave
1. V. Radisic, Y. Qian, and T. Itoh, Novel architectures for high-efficiency
amplifiers for wireless applications, IEEE Trans Microwave Theory is anti-parallel to its phase-velocity vector in materials whose
Tech 46 (1998), 1901–1909. permittivity and permeability are both negative. These materials
2. S. Kwon, B.M. Lee, Y.J. Yoon, W.Y. Song, and J.G. Yook, A harmonic have been consequently termed metamaterials, backward-wave
suppression antenna for an active integrated antenna, IEEE Microwave materials, left-handed materials, and so forth. Lindell et al. [2] and
Wireless Compon Lett 13 (2003), 54 –56. Lakhtakia et al. [3] have reviewed these materials. Pendry [4] has
3. D. Sanchez-Hernandez and I.D. Robertson, A survey of broadband shown that a metamaterial slab could focus evanescent modes and
microstrip patch antennas: Aperture-coupled parallel resonators and
resolve objects only a few nanometers wide in the optical domain.
slotted patches, Microwave J 39(9), (1996).
Ramakrishna et al. [5] have shown that a metamaterial slab
4. S. Maci, G. Biffi Gentili, P. Piazzesi, and C. Salvador, Dual-band
slot-loaded patch antenna, IEE Proc Microwave Antennas Propagat 142 bounded by different dielectric slabs also amplifies evanescent
(1995), 225–232. waves. Ziolkowsky et al. [6] have studied metamaterials both
5. W.D. Russell and R.F.B. Alain, A comparison of models to determine analytically and numerically. Engheta [7] has made a theoretical
the resonant frequencies of a rectangular microstrip antenna, IEEE analysis of thin subwavelength cavity resonators containing meta-
Trans Antennas Propagat 37 (1989), 114 –118. materials. Zhang et al. [8] have studied electromagnetic fields
propagating through metamaterial slabs. Kong [9] has provided a
© 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. general formulation for the electromagnetic wave interaction with
stratified metamaterial structures. Gerardin et al. [10] have shown
that the Bragg regime shifts when conventional materials in a
multilayer distributed Bragg reflector are replaced by metamateri-
als.
In this paper, a recursive method [9, 11–13], is used to calculate
the reflection and transmission coefficients of multilayered struc-
tures, including both metamaterial and dielectric layers. Two ap-
plications are proposed: anti-reflection coatings and high-reflection
coatings. It is found that the frequency, angle of incidence, and
polarization are much less dominant in these devices than in their
all-dielectric counterparts.

460 MICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS / Vol. 40, No. 6, March 20 2004
2. PROPAGATION IN METAMATERIAL SLABS ␮2 ⫽ ⫺␮0, and permittivity ␧2 ⫽ ⫺兩␬兩␧0 is embedded between two
semi-infinite dielectric media of permeability ␮0 and permittivities
2.1 Propagation in a Single Slab ␧1 and ␧3, respectively (see Fig. 1).
We will first study the propagation of an s-polarized wave in a The tangential components of the electric and magnetic fields
single slab. A metamaterial slab of thickness d 2 , permeability are given as follows:

冦
ŷ关Ae⫺jk 3z cos ␪ 3 ⫹ Be⫹jk 3z cos ␪ 3兴e⫺jk 3x sin ␪ 3 共z ⬍ 0兲 (1a)
⫹jk 2 z cos ␪ 2 ⫺jk 2 z cos ␪ 2 ⫺jk 2 x sin ␪ 2
E t ⫽ ŷ关Ce ⫹ De 兴e 共0 ⬍ z ⬍ d2 兲 (1b)
ŷ关Fe⫺jk 1共 z⫺d 2兲cos ␪ 1兴e⫺jk 1x sin ␪ 1 共d2 ⬍ z兲 (1c)

冋 册
冦
j
⫺x̂ 兵A共⫺jk3 cos ␪3 兲e⫺jk 3z cos ␪ 3 ⫹ B共 jk3 cos ␪3 兲e⫹jk 3z cos ␪ 3其 e⫺jk 3x sin ␪ 3 共z ⬍ 0兲 (2a)
␻␮0
H t ⫽ ⫺x̂
⫺j
␻␮0 冋
兵C共 jk2 cos ␪2 兲e⫹jk 2z cos ␪ 2 ⫹ D共⫺jk2 cos ␪2 兲e⫺jk 2z cos ␪ 2其 e⫺jk 2x sin ␪ 2 册 共0 ⬍ z ⬍ d2 兲, (2b)

⫺x̂
j
␻␮0 冋 册
兵F共⫺jk1 cos ␪1 兲e⫺jk 1共 z⫺d 2兲cos ␪ 1其 e⫺jk 1x sin ␪ 1 共d2 ⬍ z兲 (2c)

where k i ⫽ ␻ 公␧ i ␮ i ⫽ ␻ n i /c and ␪ i is the acute angle between B s

r 32 s ⫹j2␸2
⫹ r 21 e
the normal and the wave-normal. R 2s ⫽ ⫽ s s ⫹j2␸2 , (5a)
A 1 ⫹ r 32r 21e
Continuity of E y at z ⫽ 0 and z ⫽ d 2 requires
s s ⫹j␸2
A⫹B⫽C⫹D 共 z ⫽ 0兲, (3a) F t 32 t 21e
T 2s ⫽ ⫽ s s ⫹j2␸2 , (5b)
A 1 ⫹ r 32 r 21e
Ce ⫹jkz2d2 ⫹ De ⫺jkz2d2 ⫽ F 共 z ⫽ d 2兲, (3b)
where the interface reflection and transmission coefficients are
while continuity of H x at z ⫽ 0 and z ⫽ d 2 requires given by

⫺Akz3 ⫹ Bkz3 ⫽ ⫺Ckz2 ⫹ Dkz2 共z ⫽ 0兲, (4a) k zi ⫺ k zj

r sij ⫽ , (6a)
k zi ⫹ k zj
⫺Ckz2 e⫹jk z2d 2 ⫹ Dkz2 e⫺jk z2d 2 ⫽ ⫺Fkz1 共z ⫽ d2 兲, (4b)
2k zi
where k zi ⫽ k i cos ␪ i . t sij ⫽ , (6b)
The slab reflection and transmission coefficients are retrieved k zi ⫹ k zj
from Eqs. (3) and (4). They are given as follows:
and ␸ i – k zi d i . The interface reflection and transmission coeffi-
cients are identical for dielectric and metamaterials. On the other
hand, the phase ␸2 in Eqs. (5a) and (5b) is preceded by a ⫹ sign
for a metamaterial slab and by a ⫺ sign for a dielectric slab.
For a p-polarized wave propagating in a single metamaterial
slab, the slab reflection and transmission coefficients are given as
follows:

p ⫹j2␸2
p
r 32 ⫹ r 21 e
R 2p ⫽ p p ⫹j2␸2 , (7a)
1 ⫹ r 32r 21e

p p ⫹j␸2
t 32 t 21e
T 2p ⫽ p p ⫹j2␸2 , (7b)
1 ⫹ r 32 r 21e

where the interface reflection and transmission coefficients are

given by

k jcos ␪i ⫺ ki cos ␪j
r pij ⫽ , (8a)
kj cos ␪i ⫹ ki cos ␪j

Figure 1 Wave propagation through a metamaterial slab embedded

2k icos ␪i
t pij ⫽ . (8b)
between two dielectric semi-infinite media kj cos ␪i ⫹ ki cos ␪j

MICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS / Vol. 40, No. 6, March 20 2004 461
 The interface reflection and transmission coefficients are iden-
tical for dielectric and metamaterials in the p-polarization case as
well, while the phase ␸2 is preceded by a ⫹ sign for a metamaterial
slab and by a ⫺ sign for a dielectric slab. Similar expressions have
been given in [5] and [9].
In both polarizations, the law of conservation of energy is given
as follows:

兩R 2s,p兩 2 ⫹ 兩T៮ 2s,p兩 2 ⫽ 1, (9)

where 兩T៮ s,p 2 兩 ⫽ (k z1 /k z3 )兩T 2 兩 .

2 s,p 2

For quarter-wavelength slabs, in the s-polarization case, r s32 ⫹

r s21 e ⫹j2 ␸ 2 ⫽ 0, ␸ 2 ⫽ ( ␲ / 2), so that

k 22 cos ␪1 cos ␪3
⫽ 共s polarization兲, (10a)
k 1k 3 cos2 ␪2

while in the p-polarization case, r p32 ⫹ r p21 e ⫹j2 ␸ 2 ⫽ 0, ␸ 2 ⫽

( ␲ / 2), so that

k 22 cos2 ␪2
⫽ 共 p polarization兲. (10b)
k 1k 3 cos ␪1 cos ␪3
Figure 2 Overall reflection and transmission coefficients of: (a) layer 2;
2.2 Propagation in a Multilayered Structure (b) layers 2 and 3; (c) layers 2, 3, and 4; (d) layers 2, 3, 4, . . . , N ⫺ 1;
In a multilayered structure, for either the s- or the p-polarization, (e) the N ⫺ 2 layers
the total reflection and transmission coefficients are given as
follows for layer i:
in absolute value than each of the other three terms. The denom-
r i⫹1,i ⫹ R i⫺1e ⫾j2␸i inator of Eq. (12) contains the product of the three interface
Ri ⫽ , (11a)
1 ⫹ r i⫹1,iR i⫺1e ⫾j2␸i transmission coefficients. Then, if the interface reflection coeffi-
cients are small, multiple reflections can be neglected, and we
t i⫹1,iT i⫺1e ⫾j␸i obtain
Ti ⫽ , (11b)
1 ⫹ r i⫹1,iR i⫺1e ⫾j2␸i
R 3 r 43 ⫹ r 32e j共⫾2␸3兲 ⫹ r 21e j共⫾2␸3⫾2␸2兲
where the phase ␸ i connected with slab i is preceded by a ⫹ sign ⬵ . (13)
T3 t 43t 32t 21e j共⫾␸3⫾␸2兲
for a metamaterial and by a ⫺ sign for a dielectric material. We
shall generally calculate R/T because it is this quantity we wish to
minimize or to maximize in order to obtain anti-reflection or It can be shown [13] that the terms representing reflections
high-reflection coatings, and because the denominators in Eqs. other than the first-order ones in the general expression of R N⫺1 /
(11a) and (11b) cancel out in this quantity, thus making calcula- T N⫺1 contain the products of at least three interface reflection
tions easier. coefficients, indicating that the first-order approximation could be
According to Eqs. (5a) and (5b), or (7a) and (7b), layer 2 has adequate if one wishes to obtain some guidelines in the design of
been reduced to an equivalent interface between media 3 and 1. multilayered structures. Moreover, a large number of terms repre-
Then, Eqs. (11a) and (11b) form the basis of an iteration procedure senting multiple reflections are set equal to zero if one uses pairs
which, when repeated layer after layer down to the last layer, of slabs with identical widths and opposite permittivities whose
yields the overall reflection and transmission coefficients of the interface reflection coefficients vanish.
structure as a whole [see Figs. 2(a)–(e)]. Snell’s law is evidently
satisfied at each interface, that is, n 1 sin ␪ 1 ⫽ n 2 sin ␪ 2 ⫽ . . . ⫽ 2.3 Small Interface Reflection Coefficients
n N sin ␪ N and provides the angles ␪ 1 , ␪ 2 , . . . ␪ N used in the The total reflection coefficient is given as follows, for a structure
Fresnel interface reflection and transmission coefficients. consisting of N ⫺ 2 slabs, in both polarizations, if the interface
When N ⫽ 4 (two slabs), we obtain: reflection coefficients are small:

R 3 r 43 ⫹ r 32e j共⫾2␸3兲 ⫹ r 21e j共⫾2␸3⫾2␸2兲 ⫹ r 43r 32r 21e j共⫾2␸2兲

⫽
冘
N⫺1
. (12)
T3 t 43t 32t 21e j共⫾␸3⫾␸2兲 R N⫺1 ⬵
N⫺1
r i,i⫺1e j¥k⫽i 共⫾2␸k兲 ⫹ r N,N⫺1. (14a)
i⫽2
Explicit expressions for R N⫺1 and T N⫺1 (any N) have been
given in [9] and [13]. An alternative matrix method has been given
The total transmission coefficient is given as follows under the
in [9].
same conditions:

冋写 册
The first three terms in the numerator of Eq. (12) represent the
three first-order reflections from the three interfaces 4 ⫺ 3, 3 ⫺ 2, N

and 2 ⫺ 1, respectively, while its fourth term contains the product

N⫺1
T N⫺1 ⬵ t i,i⫺1 䡠 关e j¥k⫽2 共⫾␸k兲兴. (14b)
of three interface reflection coefficients and is, evidently, smaller i⫽2

462 MICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS / Vol. 40, No. 6, March 20 2004
 ␪ 1 )/(2n 4 cos ␪4) and for p polarization, R p3 /T p3 ⫽ (n 1 cos ␪ 4 ⫺
n 4 cos ␪ 1 )/(2n 4 cos ␪4), that is, in both cases, R 3 /T 3 depends only
on the values of the refractive indices of the initial and final media,
n 4 and n 1 , and on the angle of incidence ␪4. It is evident that any
number of additional pairs of alternating slabs, all identical to the
first pair, would not change the results. Neither would any number
of additional pairs of alternating slabs, all different from the first
pair, provided that in each pair the width and the permittivity
absolute value of each of the two slabs composing the pair are
identical. The physical reason of this feature is that, at the interface
separating the two slabs of each pair, the reflection coefficient
Figure 3 (a) A pair of slabs with the same width d and opposite vanishes and the transmission coefficient is unity, while any phase
permittivities (⫺兩␬兩␧0, ⫹兩␬兩␧0) embedded between two dielectric semi- a wave may have after its propagation through one of the slabs is
infinite media; (b) three slabs with the same width d and alternating completely canceled after its propagation through the other slab,
permittivities (⫺兩␬兩␧0, ⫹兩␬兩␧0, ⫺兩␬兩␧0) embedded between two dielectric
thus making each pair of slabs a transparent structure. The advan-
semi-infinite media; (c) a pair of quarter-wavelength dielectric and meta-
tage of structures composed of pairs of alternating slabs is that,
material slabs with highly contrasted refractive indices embedded between
two dielectric semi-infinite media since the phases ␸ disappear, the reflection and transmission pro-
cesses are frequency independent, while they are independent of
the angle of incidence as well only if the initial and final semi-
Moreover, we obtain, for alternating dielectric and metamaterial infinite media are identical. These structures could be advanta-
slabs whose phases ␸ k are all equal ( ␸ k ⫽ ␸ ), and for small geously used as antenna radomes.
interface reflection coefficients: We shall study a structure consisting of a pair of metamaterial
and dielectric slabs with an additional metamaterial slab only (N ⫽

冘
共N⫺1兲/ 2 5), where the three slabs have the same width d and permittivities
R N⫺1 ⬵ 关r 2i⫹1,2i ⫹ r 2i,2i⫺1e ⫾j2␸兴 ⫽ 共r 32 ⫹ r 54 ⫹ · · · ⫹ r N,N⫺1兲 n 4 ⫽ ⫺兩 ␬ 兩␧ 0 , n 3 ⫽ 兩 ␬ 兩␧ 0 and n 2 ⫽ ⫺兩 ␬ 兩␧ 0 [see Fig. 3(b)]. In this
s,p ⫹j2 ␸ 2 s,p ⫹j2 ␸ 2
i⫽1 case, R s,p
4 /T 4
s,p
⬵ (r s,p
54 ⫹ r 21 e )/t s,p
54 t 21 e , where ␸ 2 ⫽
( ␻ /c)n 2 d cos ␪ 2 (n ⫽ n 4 ⫽ n 3 ⫽ n 2 , ␪ ⫽ ␪ 4 ⫽ ␪ 3 ⫽ ␪ 2 ⫽
⫹ 共r 21 ⫹ r 43 ⫹ · · · ⫹ r N⫺1,N⫺2兲e ⫾j2␸ 共N odd兲, (15a)
arcsin(n 5 sin ␪ 5 /n)). If the additional metamaterial slab has a
different width d⬘ and a different permittivity ⫺兩K⬘兩␧ 0 , then
冘 冘
N/ 2 共N⫺2兲/ 2
s,p ⫹j2 ␸ 2 s,p s,p ⫹j2 ␸ 2
R s,p
4 /T 4
s,p
⬵ (r s,p
54 ⫹ r 32 ⫹ r 21 e
s,p
)/t s,p
54 t 32 t 21 e . The
RN⫺1 ⬵ r2i,2i⫺1 ⫹ r2i⫹1,2ie⫾j2␸ ⫽ 共r21 ⫹ r43 ⫹ · · · ⫹ rN,N⫺1兲
i⫽1 i⫽1
disadvantage of structures containing an odd number of slabs is
that, since the phases ␸ do not disappear, the reflection and
⫹ 共r32 ⫹ r54 ⫹ · · · ⫹ rN⫺1,N⫺2 兲e⫾j2 ␸ 共N even兲, (15b) transmission processes are dependent on frequency and on the
angle of incidence.

写
N

T N⫺1 ⬵ t i,i⫺1e ⫾j␸ ⫽ t 21t 32 · · · t N,N⫺1e ⫾j␸ 共N odd兲, (15c) 3.2 High-Reflection Coatings
i⫽2 A careful examination of Eq. (12) shows that in order to maximize
R 3 /T 3 , one has to chose a pair of adjacent dielectric and metama-
terial slabs with highly contrasted refractive indices (n 4 ⬍ n 3 ,
写
N

T N⫺1 ⬵ t i,i⫺1 ⫽ t 21t 32 · · · t N,N⫺1. 共N even兲. (15d) n 3 ⬎ n 2 , n 2 ⬍ n 1 ), and, as usual, ␸2 ⫽ ␸3 ⫽ ␲/2 at the central
i⫽2 frequency for normal incidence [see Fig. 3(c)]. In this case, all the
terms in the numerator of Eq. (12) are negative, that is, added in
It should be noted that the phases ␸ k [ ␸ k ⫽ ( ␻ /c)n k d k cos ␪ k ] phase: for the first term, because n 4 ⬍ n 3 (r 43 ⬍ 0); for the
of the alternating dielectric and metamaterial slabs could be all second, because n 3 ⬎ n 2 (r 32 ⬎ 0) and 2␸3 ⫽ ␲; for the third,
equal only if ( ␻ /c) 公n 2k ⫺ n N
2
sin2␪ N d k is constant, with ␪ N the because n 2 ⬍ n 1 (r 21 ⬍ 0) and ⫺2␸2 ⫹ 2␸3 ⫽ 0; for the fourth,
angle of incidence. The original structure behaves then as a single because r 43 r 32 r 21 ⬍ 0 and ⫺2␸2 ⫽ ⫺␲, while the denominator
slab embedded between two semi-infinite media. The characteris- is positive, t 43 ⬎ 0, t 32 ⬎ 0, t 21 ⬎ 0, and ⫺2␸2 ⫹ 2␸3 ⫽ 0.
tics of this structure could be inferred from those of the original At the central frequency ␻ ⫽ ␻0, then, for ␪ 4 ⫽ 0, ␸ 2 ⫽
structure. ( ␻ 0 /c)n 2 d 2 ⫽ ␸ 3 ⫽ ( ␻ 0 /c)n 3 d 3 ⫽ ( ␲ / 2) so that n 2 d 2 ⫽ n 3 d 3 ⫽
c ␲ / 2 ␻ 0 . Therefore, for a metamaterial slab adjacent to a dielectric
3. APPLICATIONS slab, the phase ⫺2␸2 ⫹ 2␸3 ⫽ 0, and this phase is the same as for
a dielectric slab adjacent to another dielectric slab: ⫺2␸2 ⫺ 2␸3 ⫽
3.1 Antireflection Coatings ⫺2␲. But for a different frequency ␻ ⫽ ␻⬘, also for ␪ 4 ⫽ 0, ␸ 2 ⫽
We shall study first a structure consisting of a pair of metamaterial ( ␻ ⬘/c)n 2 d 2 ⫽ ␸ 3 ⫽ ( ␻ ⬘/c)n 3 d 3 ⫽ ( ␻ ⬘/ ␻ 0 )( ␲ / 2), so that for a
and dielectric slabs (N ⫽ 4), the two slabs having the same width metamaterial-dielectric pair of slabs, the phase ⫺2␸2 ⫹ 2␸3 re-
d, and opposite permittivities n 3 ⫽ ⫺兩 ␬ 兩␧ 0 and n 2 ⫽ 兩 ␬ 兩␧ 0 [see mains equal to zero, while for a dielectric-dielectric pair of slabs,
Fig. 3(a)]. In this case, ␸ 3 ⫽ ␸ 2 , ␪ 3 ⫽ ␪ 2 , r s,p
32 ⫽ 0, and t 32 ⫽
s,p
the phase ⫺2␸2 ⫺ 2␸3 ⫽ ⫺2␲(␻⬘/␻0), which is different from
1. If n 1 ⫽ n 4 , for any frequency and for any angle of incidence, ⫺2␲ by a factor (␻⬘/␻0).
R s,p
3 ⫽ 0 and T s,p 3 ⫽ 1. If n 1 ⫽ n 4 , for any frequency and for At the central frequency ␻ ⫽ ␻0, and for oblique incidence
normal incidence, R s,p 3 /T 3 ⫽ r 41 /t 41 , this case being akin to the
s,p s,p s,p
␪4 ⫽ ␪⬘ ⫽ 0(sin ␪ 4 ⬍⬍ 1), ␸ 2 ⫽ ( ␻ 0 /c)n 2 d 2 cos ␪ 2 ⫽ ( ␲ / 2)cos
case of the initial semi-infinite medium being adjacent to the final ␪2(sin ␪2 ⬍⬍ 1) and ␸ 3 ⫽ ( ␻ 0 /c)n 3 d 3 cos ␪3 ⫽ (␲/2)cos ␪3(sin ␪3
one as though the pair of slabs was missing. If n 1 ⫽ n 4 , for any ⬍⬍ 1). Therefore, for a metamaterial-dielectric pair of slabs
frequency and for any angle of incidence, R s,p s,p
3 /T 3 ⫽ (r s,p
43 ⫹ ⫺2␸2 ⫹ 2␸3 ⫽ ⫺␲(cos ␪2 ⫺ cos ␪3) ⫽ ␲[(␪22/2) ⫺ (␪23/2)] (since
r 21 )/t 43 t 21 . For s polarization, R 3 /T 3 ⫽ (n 4 cos ␪ 4 ⫺ n 1 cos
s,p s,p s,p s s
cos ␪ ⫽ 1 ⫺ (␪2/2!) ⫹ . . . for ␪ ⬃ 0), while for a dielectric-

MICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS / Vol. 40, No. 6, March 20 2004 463
 that of the L medium is 1.45. The central frequency has been
chosen as f ⫽ 200 GHz.
The transmittance of an all-dielectric structure is shown in
Figure 4(a) and (b) as a function of frequency between 100 and
300 GHz for s and p polarizations and for various angles of
incidence (␪ ⫽ 0°, 20°, 40°). The transmittance variation with
frequency of the corresponding metamaterial-dielectric (L-H)
structure is shown in Figure 5(a) and (b) with the same parameters
as in Figure 4. Finally, the transmittance variation with frequency
from 0 to 400 GHz for the metamaterial-dielectric structure is
shown in Figure 6 for the s polarization.
It may be inferred from these graphs that for the metamaterial-
dielectric structure, the passband is much larger and the influence
of the angle of incidence less conspicuous than for its all-dielectric
counterpart. The metamaterial-dielectric structure shows no ripples
and no sharp shifts in frequency between the s and p polarizations,
however, there is a monotonous quasi-symmetric rise in the trans-
mittance to the left and to the right of the central frequency. All
these features should make this an attractive structure in the design
of high-reflectance coatings.

Figure 4 Transmittance as a function of frequency of a (HL) 10 H quar-

ter-wavelength dielectric slabs structure embedded in air, for various
angles of incidence: (a) s polarization; (b) p polarization

dielectric pair of slabs ⫺2␸2 ⫺ 2␸3 ⫽ ⫺␲(cos ␪2 ⫹ cos ␪3) ⫽

⫺2␲ ⫹ ␲[(␪22/2) ⫹ (␪23/2)]. It is evident that (␪22 ⫺ ␪23)/2 is smaller
than (␪22 ⫹ ␪23)/2. Similar arguments, applied to ␻ ⫽ ␻⬘ ⫽ ␻0
together with ␪4 ⫽ ␪⬘ ⫽ 0, yield the same conclusions. Therefore,
by a judicious combination of metamaterial and dielectric slabs, a
high-reflection coating is achieved, for which the dependence of
R 3 /T 3 on the frequency and on the angle of incidence is conse-
quently diminished.

4. NUMERICAL RESULTS
In order to illustrate the ideas exposed in the preceding sections
and to compare, for high-reflectance coatings, the results obtained
by using structures consisting of metamaterial and of dielectric
slabs to those obtained by using their all-dielectric counterparts, Figure 5 Transmittance as a function of frequency of a (HL) 10 H quar-
the transmittance of (HL) 10 H quarter-wavelength structures em- ter-wavelength alternating metamaterial-dielectric (L-H) slabs structure
bedded in air has been calculated as a function of frequency in embedded in air, for various angles of incidence: (a) s polarization; (b) p
various cases. The refractive index of the H medium is 2.25 and polarization

464 MICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS / Vol. 40, No. 6, March 20 2004
 Schultz, The asymmetric lossy near-perfect lens, J Modern Opt 49
(2002), 1747–1762.
6. R.W. Ziolkowsky and E. Heyman, Wave propagation in media having
negative permittivity and permeability, Phys Rev E 64 (2001), 056625.
7. N. Engheta, An idea for thin sub-wavelength cavity resonators using
metamaterials with negative permittivity and permeability, IEEE Ant
Wireless Propagat Lett 1 (2002), 10 –13.
8. Y. Zhang, T.M. Grzegorczyk, and J.A. Kong, Propagation of electro-
magnetic waves in a slab with negative permittivity and negative
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isotropic media, Progr Electromagn Res PIER 35 (2002), 1–52.
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tributed Bragg reflectors, Microwave Opt Technol Lett 34 (2002),
409 – 411.
11. C. Altman and H. Cory, The simple thin-film optical method in
electromagnetic wave propagation, Radio Sci 4 (1969), 449 – 457.
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electromagnetic wave propagation, Radio Sci 4 (1969), 459 – 470.
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sion by stratified planar structures, J Opt Soc Am A 8 (1991), 1697–
Figure 6 Transmittance as a function of frequency of a (HL) 10 H quar- 1701.
ter-wavelength alternating metamaterial-dielectric (L-H) slabs structure
embedded in air (s polarization), for various angles of incidence, with a © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
very large frequency range

5. CONCLUSION SOLUTION OF “SWITCHED ELEMENT”

Propagation in metamaterial slabs has been studied and expres- ARRAY SYNTHESIS PROBLEMS USING
sions for the overall reflection and transmission coefficients have THE PARALLEL GENERALIZED
been given for multilayered structures consisting of metamaterial PROJECTION ALGORITHM
or metamaterial and dielectric slabs. Small-reflection approxima-
tions have been deduced and their validity has been discussed. Tom Swierczynski and Derek A. McNamara
Two applications have been proposed: anti-reflection coatings and School of Information Technology & Engineering (SITE)
University of Ottawa
high-reflection coatings. It has been found that, for a pair of slabs
800 King Edward Street
having the same width and opposite permittivities, the overall Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
reflection coefficient would either vanish (if the initial and final
media were identical) or depend only upon the refractive indices of
Received 5 September 2003
these media and on the angle of incidence (if they were not). These
structures could be advantageously used as antenna radomes. It has
ABSTRACT: In certain antenna arrays (“switched-element” arrays),
also been found that the metamaterial dielectric structures have some of the radiating elements are turned on or off during operation to
very interesting features when used as high-reflection coatings. provide some desired reconfigurability at different times, or are effec-
Their pass-band is larger and they show no ripples, but do show a tively turned on or off at different frequencies, through the use of filters
monotonous quasi-symmetric rise in their transmittance to the left connected to groups of radiating elements, in order to retain the same
and to the right of the central frequency. The distinctive feature of performance over wide-frequency bands. In such circumstances, the ex-
these devices is the weakening of the influence of the frequency, citations of the elements must be the same, irrespective of whether all or
angle of incidence, or polarization upon the reflection and the only some of the elements are being used. Thus, one may wish to syn-
transmission processes. thesize an array (that is, determine its element excitations) so that the
required performance is obtained under different sets of circumstances.
In this paper, we indicate how the use of a parallel approach allows the
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
method of generalized projections to be used for such synthesis prob-
One of the authors (H. Cory) would like to thank the Fund for the lems, and demonstrate its use for a specific example. © 2004 Wiley Pe-
Promotion of Research at the Technion for supporting this re- riodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 40: 465– 471, 2004;
search. Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com).
DOI 10.1002/mop.20006
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MICROWAVE AND OPTICAL TECHNOLOGY LETTERS / Vol. 40, No. 6, March 20 2004 465