An octave-bandwidth negligible-loss radiofrequency metamaterial

Metamaterials provide an unprecedented ability to manipulate electromagnetic waves and are an enabling technology for new devices ranging from flat lenses that focus light beyond the diffraction limit to coatings capable of cloaking an object. Nevertheless, narrow bandwidths and high intrinsic losses arising from the resonant properties of metamaterials have raised doubts about their usefulness. New design approaches seek to turn the perceived disadvantages of dispersion into assets that enhance a device’s performance. Here we employ dispersion engineering of metamaterial properties to enable specific device performance over usable bandwidths. In particular, we design metamaterials that considerably improve conventional horn antennas over greater than an octave bandwidth with negligible loss and advance the state of the art in the process. Fabrication and measurement of a metahorn confirm its broadband, low-loss performance. This example illustrates the power of clever implementation combined with dispersion engineering to bring metamaterials into their full potential for revolutionizing practical devices. Metamaterials show many intriguing properties, which are often limited to a narrow range of frequencies. The demonstration of a low-loss broadband metamaterial at radiofrequencies promises applications as enhanced antennas, for example.