Observation of the Parametric Amplification in Nonlinear Left-Handed Transmission Line Metamaterials

This paper discusses the use of parametric amplification to address the losses in left-handed nonlinear transmission line (NLTL) metamaterials. The paper introduces a new amplifying NIM, where the energy in a pump wave at one frequency is transferred to the energy in a weak signal wave at another frequency, amplifying it. An 8.3 db parameteric amplification was observed in a LH NLTL media when both the pump and the signal waves fall into the LH region. This approach can also be scaled from its current L-band form into THz, infrared, or ultimately visible form. Extending the results to a two-dimensional structure and taking advantage of the orthogonality between the pump and the signal waves that is possible in a two-dimensional system would enable embedded amplification to occur within the NIM, thus overcoming the losses that dominate their performance