A method of analyzing transmission losses in left-handed metamaterials

A method of analyzing transmission loss in left-handed metamaterials (LHMs) is proposed. As a demonstration of this method, transmission loss of LHMs composed of split-ring resonators (SRR) and conducting wires is studied. By means of retrieving and analyzing the effective constitutive parameters, different transmission losses as well as their origins are studied. The results show that the left-handed bandwidth is narrowed because of high loss caused by the non-zero high imaginary parts of the effective permeability and permittivity. In the effective left-handed band, the radiation loss is very low and can be neglected, and the transmission losses are the sum of the substrate loss and the ohmic loss. Moreover, when the dielectric loss tangent of the substrate is greater than 0.003, the substrate loss is higher than the ohmic loss.