Plasmonics and metamaterials have attracted considerable attention over the past decade, owing to the revolutionary impacts that they bring to both the fundamental physics and practical applications in multiple disciplines. Although the two fields initially advanced along their individual trajectories in parallel, they started to interfere with each other when metamaterials reached the optical regime. The dynamic interplay between plasmonics and metamaterials has generated a number of innovative concepts and approaches, which are impossible with either area alone. This review presents the fundamentals, recent advances and future perspectives in the emerging field of plasmonic metamaterials, aiming to open up new exciting opportunities for nanoscience and nanotechnology.

To appear in Nanotechnology Reviews