Slow and fast light in metal/dielectric composites with passive and active host matrices

The optical properties of metal/dielectric composites (metal with dielectric core and pure metal inclusions) in passive and active host matrices are studied. It is shown that the real and imaginary parts of the refractive index of the composites with metal covered inclusions have two maxima at two resonant frequencies. Both types of composites show strong anomalous dispersion of the real part of refractive index. The active host matrices can considerably reduce the absorption and provide the conditions for the propagation of weakly damping light waves at the resonant frequencies. The weakly spreading wave packets of light with negative group velocity can be experimentally observed in these composites.