Left-Handed Metamaterial Design Guide

This left-handed metamaterials design guide provides an overview of how to design and optimize the performance of microwave devices constructed of these materials using Ansoft Designer (Method of Moments) and HFSS (Finite Element Method). Detailed discussion about the design of the left-handed metamaterial unit-cells along with detailed setup for analysis of these unit-cells is presented. In addition, a leaky-wave antenna and a negative refractive index flat lens based on the analyzed left-handed unit-cells are simulated in Ansoft Designer and HFSS.

Chapter 1: Left-Handed Metamaterials. The concept of metamaterials is explained and the following questions are examined: What are left-handed metamaterials? Why are left-handed metamaterials important? How are left-handed metamaterials realized?

Chapter 2: Ansoft Designer, Dominant-Mode Leaky-Wave Antenna. This chapter provides a design guide for a one-dimensional, dominant-mode leaky-wave antenna based on the left-handed metamaterial's unique dispersion characteristics. This chapter begins with a brief introduction on leaky-wave antennas and discusses the advantages of a left-handed metamaterial implementation over a conventional implementation of the antenna. The chapter continues with the design of a dominant-mode leaky-wave antenna using Ansoft Designer. The analysis of the required one-dimensional left-handed metamaterial unit-cell based on microstrip technology is presented in detail; unit-cell setup, analysis options, dispersion diagram generation, and Bloch impedance diagram generation using Ansoft Designer are outlined. Next, the designed unit-cell is cascaded to form a leaky-wave antenna. S-parameter and far-field patterns are generated using Ansoft Designer to verify the dominant mode backfire to endfire frequency scanning capability of the realized antenna.

Chapter 3: HFSS, Negative Refractive Flat Lens. This chapter provides insight to the analysis and design of two-dimensional left-handed metamaterials. A negative refractive index flat lens is realized in HFSS based on the Sievenpiper mushroom unit-cell. First, the two-dimensional unit-cell is discussed, and its dispersion diagram is generated using two approaches: driven mode like Chapter 1 and eigenmode solver provided in HFSS. The dispersion diagram is used to characterize the refractive index of the left-handed metamaterial and to determine the operational frequency for the lens application. Then, the unit-cell is cascaded in two-dimensions in order to form a bulk left-handed metamaterial. The HFSS setup for the lens simulation is discussed; field plots are used to confirm the negative refraction in the lens. In addition, the HFSS field calculator is used to plot the phase of the electric field in the lens.