Absorption losses in periodic arrays of thin metallic wires

We analyze the transmission and reflection of the electromagnetic wave calculated from transfer matrix simulations of periodic arrangements of thin metallic wires. The effective permittivity and the absorption is determined. Their dependence on the wire thickness and the conductance of the metallic wires is studied. The cutoff frequency or effective plasma frequency is obtained and is compared with analytical predictions. It is shown that the periodic arrangement of wires exhibits a frequency region in which the real part of the permittivity is negative while its imaginary part is very small. This behavior is seen for wires with thickness as small as 17 $\mu$m with a lattice constant of 3.33 mm.