Electromagnetic behaviour of left-handed materials

Using periodic materials composed of split-ring resonators (SRRs) and continuous wires is, up to now, the most common way of obtaining left-handed behaviour in the microwaves regime. In this work, using transmission simulations and measurements, we examine the electromagnetic behaviour of those materials, focusing mainly on their response to an external electric field and its crucial role in the achievement of left-handed behaviour. Moreover, we examine and theoretically demonstrate the possibility of the SRRs&wires design to give left-handed behaviour in the infrared and optical regime, as well as the possibility of obtaining left-handed behaviour using an alternative for the SRRs&wires design composed of pairs of short wires.