The Role of Complex Electric Permittivity and Magnetic Permeability in Left Handed Materials

Left handed materials opens new era in modern optics. This motivates trying to build a theoretical model that can help in predicting new materials. The model is based on assuming the existence of medium in electric and magnetic fields. The orientation of medium field with respect to the external ones is described by complex representation. The refractive index is expressed in terms of real and complex electric permittivity and magnetic permeability. It is found that the material becomes left handed if certain restrictions are imposed on the values and orientations of the medium fields with respect to the external ones.