Eur. Phys. J. Appl. Phys. 46, 32602 (2009)
https://doi.org/10.1051/epjap:2008104

Six-dimensional view of dielectric mixtures as metamaterials

Helsinki University of Technology, Department of Radio Science and Engineering, PO Box 3000, 02015 TKK, Finland

Corresponding author: ari.sihvola@tkk.fi

Received: 8 February 2008
Revised: 10 April 2008
Accepted: 14 April 2008
Published online: 19 July 2008

Abstract

This paper discusses homogenization formulas and mixing rules that connect effective dielectric properties of mixtures with their microstucture. The special point of view in this paper is that all parameters appearing in mixing formulas are treated with equal status. The parameters that can be varied are the permittivities (which are allowed to be negative as well as positive) of the inclusion, environment, and composite, the volume fraction, spatial dimension, and an abstract parameter which chooses the given mixing formula type. The analysis helps in the interpretation of predictions from classical mixing rules when they are extended into the domain of negative-permittivity metamaterials.