We propose a type of elastic metamaterial comprising fluid-solid composite
inclusions which can possess negative shear modulus and negative mass density
over a large frequency region. Such a solid metamaterial has a unique elastic
property that only transverse waves can propagate with a negative dispersion
while longitudinal waves are forbidden. This leads to many interesting
phenomena such as negative refraction, which is demonstrated by using a wedge
sample, and a significant amount of mode conversion from transverse waves to
longitudinal waves that cannot occur on the interface of two natural solids