Left handed modes in linear arrays of isotropic particles with electric and magnetic response

We study the properties of dipolar wave propagation in linear chains of isotropic particles with independent electric and magnetic response, embedded in vacuum. It is shown that transverse-polarization left-handed waves can be supported by the structure even if the chain's particles possess positive polar-izabilities and no Bi-isotropy; the needed Bi-isotropy is provided by the propagator instead of by the particle's local properties. In contrast to the transverse modes in chains that consist of purely electric particles, the left-handed modes dispersion lack the lightline branch since their dipolar features are not aligned with the electric and magnetic fields of a right-handed plane-wave solution in free space.