A new interpretation of metamaterial behavior in terms of coupling between resonant inclusions

Typically, most of the studies on metamaterials ignore the interaction between split-ring resonators and cut-wires, and also between identical resonators of the two arrays. They view the electromagnetic response of metamaterials as though it is a simple summation of responses of the individual elements. The elements are assumed to be ldquonot seenrdquo by the waves, which are thought to propagate in a quasi-uniform medium. This long-wave approximation has been used to justify the description of the effective medium parameters in terms of expressions obtained for the individual resonators. This has led to very simple concepts on the basis of which left-handed properties of metamaterials have been explained.