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Optics

Positively negative

Nature volume 423, pages 22–23 (2003)Cite this article

An artificially created material with negative refractive index has opened the door to new phenomena — and controversy. New work finally sets the seal of experimental confirmation on negative refraction.

The response of a material to electric and magnetic fields is characterized by its permittivity, ɛ, and its permeability, µ, respectively. Veselago argued that if both ɛ and µ were negative, it follows that the refractive index of the material, which determines the velocity of light within it, would also be negative. There matters rested, because, although there are natural materials with negative ɛ, there are none with both negative ɛ and negative µ. In the absence of any materials on which to experiment, the concept was purely theoretical.

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Figure 1: Negative refraction.
Figure 2: Negative refraction confirmed.

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  1. the Condensed-Matter Theory Group, The Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK

    John Pendry

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Pendry, J. Positively negative. Nature 423, 22–23 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/423022a

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