An Overview of Electromagnetic Metamaterials

Metamaterials can be defined as a joint of small artificial cells or elements which could be small scatterers or apertures which are distributed in a regular array throughout a region of space, in order to obtain some desirable macroscopic electromagnetic behavior which would be difficult to obtain with natural materials. In the beginning, metamaterials were first an interesting theoretical concept, then they were some periodic dielectric-conductor structures with unusual measured properties, and finally they became an important part of some modern electronic devices. Due to the fast development in the area and considering the fact that it is not common to find reviews of the metamaterial theory written in Spanish language, this work is an updated state-of-the-art related to metamaterials properties, classification and applications, based on the most relevant research works in the area. As a result from this review, an updated metamaterial classification is given as a contribution. Main metamaterial properties, design techniques and applications are shown. Moreover, a perspective of the metamaterial future is presented, in order to generate interest in this area of research.