Due to the high rate of optical losses and the extensive usage of noble metals, alternative plasmonic materials with maximum tunability and low loss are desired for future plasmonic and metamaterial devices and applications. This paper demonstrates the potential of aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO), one of the most prominent members of the transparent conducting oxide family, for its applicability in plasmonic metamaterials. Using first principles density functional theory, combined with optical calculations, we showcase AZO-based, plasmonic split ring resonators (SRRs) as model examples. Our results match with experimental reports for the optical dielectric functions of pure and 2.08 % Al-doped zinc oxide (ZnO), if we apply the Hubbard model to the local density approximation. We extract and provide broadband optical dispersion data for varying dopant concentration (0 %, 2.08 %, and 6.25 %). Our subsequent optical response analyses show the existence of pronounced plasmons and inductor-capacitor modes in Al-doped ZnO SRRs and an enhancement in metallic characteristics and plasmonic performance of AZO upon increasing the Al concentration. Our findings predict AZO as a low-loss plasmonic material with promising capability for enhancing future optoelectronics applications. Our method introduces a new, versatile approach to design future optical materials of arbitrary geometry.

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