Experimental demonstration of the magnetic field concentration effect in circuit-based magnetic near-zero index media.

Abstract

The electromagnetic field concentration effect can greatly enhance light-matter interaction and is of practical interest in applications such as wireless power transfer and sensors. Zero-index media, unusual materials with near-zero relative permittivity (ɛ) and/or permeability (µ), play a key role in tailoring the properties of electromagnetic waves in unique ways. In this work, circuit-based isotropic µ-near-zero (MNZ) media were theoretically proposed and constructed based on two-dimensional transmission lines with lumped elements. Magnetic field concentration was experimentally demonstrated in this circuit-based system, which could be realized by using a small MNZ scatterer and the results agreed well with simulations. Moreover, the MNZ scatterer exhibited a robust enhancement of the magnetic field regardless of its position and number. By applying the magnetic field concentration effect of MNZ scatterers, we also study the flexible manipulation of the electromagnetic energy along different paths. These results not only provide a versatile platform to study abnormal scattering phenomena in metamaterials, but also offer a route to enhance the magnetic field in planar systems. Moreover, the manipulation of magnetic field under multiple MNZ scatterers may enable their use in new applications, such as in the robust energy transfer with properties of long-range and multiple receivers.