Abstract
Metamaterials are artificially structured composite media with a unique electromagnetic (EM) response that is absent from naturally occurring materials, which appears counterintuitive and aggravates traditional difficulties in perceiving the behavior of EM waves. The aim of this study was to better understand the interaction of EM waves with metamaterials by virtual visualizing the accompanying physical phenomena. Over the years, virtual visualization of EM wave interactions with metamaterials has proven to be a powerful tool for explaining many phenomena that occur in metamaterials. In this study, we performed virtual visualization of the interaction of an EM plane wave with a split-ring resonator (SRR) metamaterial structure, employing CST Studio software for modeling and comprehensive simulations of high-frequency EM fields of 3D objects. The SRR structure was designed to have its magnetic resonance at the frequency f = 23.69 GHz, which is of interest for antennas supporting wireless microwave point-to-point communication systems (e.g., in satellite systems). Our numerical calculations of the coefficients of absorption, reflection, and transmission of the EM plane wave incident on the SRR structure showed that the SRR structure totally reflected the plane EM wave at the magnetic resonance frequency. Therefore, we focused our research on checking whether the results of numerical calculations could be confirmed by visualizing the total reflection phenomenon on the SRR structure. The performed vector-field visualization resulted in 2D vector maps of the electric and magnetic fields around the SRR structure during the wave period, which demonstrated the existence of characteristic features of the total reflection phenomenon when the EM plane interacted with the studied SRR, i.e., no EM field behind the SRR structure and the standing electric and magnetic waves before the SRR structure, thus, confirming the numerical calculations visually. For deeper understanding the interaction of the EM plane wave with the SRR structure of reflection characteristics at the magnetic resonance frequency f = 23.69 GH, we also visualized the SRR structure response at the frequency f = 21 GHz, i.e., at the so-called detuned frequency. As expected, at the detuned frequency, the SRR structure lost its metamaterial properties and the obtained 2D vector maps of the electric and magnetic fields around the SRR structure during the wave period showed the transmitted EM wave behind the SRR structure and no EM (fully) standing waves before the SRR structure. The visualizations presented in this study are both unique educational presentations to help understand the interaction of EM plane waves with the SRR structure of reflection characteristics at the magnetic resonance and detuned frequencies.