Negative refractive index of metallic cross-I-shaped pairs: Origin and evolution with pair gap width

A structured composite of the negative index of refraction was fabricated by one layer of cross-I-shaped metal pairs. In this structure, the electric and magnetic inclusions were effectively integrated into one small unit. We varied the spacing of the cross pair to control the location of the magnetic resonance mode and their intercoupling with the electric mode. The frequency dependences of permittivity, permeability, and refractive indices with different gap widths of the pairs were systematically discussed by free-space measurement as well as numerical simulation. A spacing window dependent on the geometrical parameters was found in which the real part of the refractive index could have a negative value. The one-layer cross-pair pattern proposed in this work can be extended to three-dimensional structures with well-controlled interlayer coupling that will greatly facilitate the fabrication and measurement of negative-index materials in high frequencies.