Most materials have therefractive index, n > 1. So, when a light ray from air enters a naturally occurring material, then by Snells' law, $$\frac{\sin \theta_1}{\sin \theta_2} = \frac{n_2}{n_1}$$, it is understood that the refracted ray bends towards the normal. But it never emerges on the same side of the normal as the incident ray.According to electromagnetism, the
refractive index of themedium is given by the relation, $$n = \left(\frac{c}{v}\right) = \pm \sqrt{ε_r\mu_r}$$ where c is the speed of electromagnetic waves in vacuum, v its speed in the medium, $$ε_r$$ and $$\mu_r$$ are negative, one one must choose the negative root of n. Such negative refractive index materials can now be artificially prepared and are calledmeta-materials.
They exhibit significantly different optical behavior, without violating any physical laws. Since n is negative, it results in a change in the direction of propagation of the refracted light. However, similar to normalmaterials, the frequency of light remains unchanged upon refraction even inmeta-materials.