Complex conjugate media: Alternative configurations for miniaturized lasers

We show that complex conjugate materials, in which the ratio of the complex electrical permittivity and the complex conjugate magnetic permeability is real, are characterized by a real refractive index and thus allow non-attenuated propagation of electromagnetic waves. Although complex conjugated media obey the same Snell law as common right-handed non-magnetic materials with the same refractive index, they differ from the latter through the reflection and transmission coefficients of electromagnetic waves. The complex conjugate materials could have important applications in miniaturized optical amplifiers and lasers.