Planar metamaterial based on hybridization for directive emission

Opt Express. 2012 Jul 30;20(16):17545-51. doi: 10.1364/OE.20.017545.

Abstract

We present the first experimental demonstration of a high-directivity using a mu and epsilon near zero (MENZ) metamaterial. We use the hybridization principles to design a planar MENZ structure based on the fishnet unit cell. Resonant mode engineering achieves an effective permittivity and permeability that approaches zeros around 10.5 GHz simultaneously. We use this metamaterial as a superstrate of a microstrip patch antenna. We show that the directivity of the antenna is effectively enhanced compared to that of the patch antenna alone at the desired frequency.