Properties of dynamical electromagnetic metamaterials

Electromagnetic metamaterials consist of two or three dimensional arrays of tailored metallic and/or dielectric inclusions and provide unprecedented sub-wavelength control over light–matter interactions. Metamaterials are fashioned to yield a specific response to the electric and magnetic components of light and may be treated as effective media, described by effective optical constants and , and have realized a multitude of exotic properties difficult to achieve with natural materials. An inductive-capacitive unit cell geometry provides enhanced values of optical constants, as well as the ability to dynamically control the novel responses exhibited by electromagnetic metamaterials. The ability of metamaterials to achieve real-time dynamic properties has realized novel applications and has made them relevant for the next revolution in advanced materials and related devices.