Q-band tunable negative refractive index metamaterial using Sc-doped BaM hexaferrite

A simple structured tunable negative refractive index (n) metamaterial (TNIM) has been designed, fabricated and tested in a Q-band rectangular waveguide. The structure consists of one slab of single crystalline scandium-doped barium hexaferrite (Sc-BaM), aligned parallel to two rows of periodic copper wires. The magnetic field tunable passband is measured indicating the occurrence of negative n. The centre frequency of the 5 GHz wide passband, having a transmission peak of -13 dB, is shifted linearly from 40.9 to 43.9 GHz by varying the bias field (H) from 4.0 to 7.0 kOe. The impact of ferrite volume factor (FVF) of the Sc-BaM slab upon the performance of the TNIM composite has been studied qualitatively. A tradeoff effect is illustrated in which the desirable negative permeability (μ) of the ferrite is offset by the detrimental impact of its dielectric property in suppressing the negative permittivity (ε) of the nearby plasmonic wires.