Wave Refraction in Negative-Index Media: Always Positive and Very Inhomogeneous

Abstract

We present the first treatment of the refraction of physical electromagnetic waves in newly developed negative index media (NIM), also known as left-handed media (LHM). The NIM dispersion relation implies that group fronts refract positively even when phase fronts refract negatively. This difference results in rapidly dispersing, very inhomogeneous waves. In fact, causality and finite signal speed always prevent negative wave signal (not phase) refraction. Earlier interpretations of phase refraction as “negative light refraction” and “light focusing by plane slabs” are therefore incorrect, and published NIM experiments can be explained without invoking negative signal refraction.