Low loss genetically engineered multilayer fishnet NIM for microwave applications

Two planar multilayer negative index metamaterials comprised of cascaded fishnet metal screens were presented. The structures were optimized by a GA in order to gain an effective refractive index of-1 and an effective impedance equal to the impedance of free space. The dielectric layers were constrained for fabrication to be commercially available high performance materials. High figures of merit for both the refractive index and impedance, as well as low transmission losses were achieved numerically. Efforts are currently underway to fabricate and test a prototype to validate the predicted performance of the NIM designs.