arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to T. G. Mackay.
A negative-phase-velocity condition derived by Depine and Lakhtakia [Microwave Opt Technol Lett 41 (2004) 315] for isotropic, homogeneous, passive, dielectric-magnetic materials is inapplicable as a negative-refraction condition for active materials.
Expressions arising from the Bruggeman approach for the homogenization of dielectric-magnetic composite materials, without ignoring the sizes of the spherical particles, are presented. These expressions exhibit the proper limit behavior. The incorporation of size dependence is directly responsible for the emergence of dielectric-magnetic coupling in the estimated relative permittivity and permeability of the homogenized composite material.
The propagation of plane waves in a Faraday chiral medium is investigated. Conditions for the phase velocity to be directed opposite to the direction of power flow are derived for propagation in an arbitrary direction; simplified conditions which apply to propagation parallel to the distinguished axis are also established. These negative phase-velocity conditions are explored numerically using a representative Faraday chiral medium, arising from the homogenization of an isotropic chiral medium and a magnetically biased ferrite. It is demonstrated that the phase velocity may be directed opposite to power flow, provided that the gyrotropic parameter of the ferrite component medium is sufficiently large compared with the corresponding nongyrotropic permeability parameters.
The Bruggeman formalism is implemented to estimate the refractive index of an isotropic, dielectric, homogenized composite medium (HCM). Invoking the well--known Hashin--Shtrikman bounds, we demonstrate that the group velocity in certain HCMs can exceed the group velocities in their component materials. Such HCMs should therefore be considered as metamaterials.
The Bruggeman formalism provides an estimate of the effective permittivity of a particulate composite medium comprising two component mediums. The Bruggeman estimate is required to lie within the Wiener bounds and the Hashin-Shtrikman bounds. Considering the homogenization of weakly dissipative component mediums characterized by relative permittivities with real parts of opposite signs, we show that the Bruggeman estimate may not be not physically reasonable when the component mediums are weakly dissipative; furthermore, both the Wiener bounds and the Hashin-Shtrikman bounds exhibit strong resonances.