Design of an artificial three-dimensional composite metamaterial with magnetic resonances in the visible range of the electromagnetic spectrum.

We propose an artificial three-dimensional material that exhibits a strong resonance in the effective permeability in the visible spectral domain. This material may be implemented in a two-step procedure. First, a metamaterial made of densely packed metallic nanoparticles is fabricated that shows a Lorentz-type resonance in the permittivity at the collective plasmon frequency. Second, spheres are formed out of this material and arranged in a cubic lattice. This meta-metamaterial exhibits a strong resonance in the permeability which is caused by a Mie resonance associated with the magnetic mode of a single metamaterial sphere. Realization of this material based on self-organization in liquid crystals and the limitations of the approach are discussed.