Аннотация:Properties of metamaterials assembled from individual resonators are governed by strong interactions between individual ‘artificial atoms’. The coupling between individual resonators may lead to propagation of slow waves with the wavelength much shorter than that of the electromagnetic radiation. Due to these slow waves metamaterials may provide the basis for a variety of near-field manipulating devices including miniaturized waveguide components and near field lenses. This talk discusses recent advances (i) in studies of coupling mechanisms in metamaterials, (ii) properties of slow waves of coupling and (iii) in the developments of novel applications.