Bound states in the continuum (BICs) are waves that remain localized even though they coexist with a continuous spectrum of radiating waves that can carry energy away. Their very existence defies conventional wisdom. Although BICs were first proposed in quantum mechanics, they are a general wave phenomenon and have since been identified in electromagnetic waves, acoustic waves in air, water waves and elastic waves in solids. These states have been studied in a wide range of material systems, such as piezoelectric materials, dielectric photonic crystals, optical waveguides and fibres, quantum dots, graphene and topological insulators. In this Review, we describe recent developments in this field with an emphasis on the physical mechanisms that lead to BICs across seemingly very different materials and types of waves. We also discuss experimental realizations, existing applications and directions for future work. The fascinating wave phenomenon of ‘bound states in the continuum’ spans different material and wave systems, including electron, electromagnetic and mechanical waves. In this Review, we focus on the common physical mechanisms underlying these bound states, whilst also discussing recent experimental realizations, current applications and future opportunities for research.

Bound states in the continuum

Nonradiating sources of energy have traditionally been studied in quantum mechanics and astrophysics, while receiving a very little attention in the photonics community. This situation has changed recently due to a number of pioneering theoretical studies and remarkable experimental demonstrations of the exotic states of light in dielectric resonant photonic structures and metasurfaces, with the possibility to localize efficiently the electromagnetic fields of high intensities within small volumes of matter. These recent advances underpin novel concepts in nanophotonics, and provide a promising pathway to overcome the problem of losses usually associated with metals and plasmonic materials for the efficient control of the light-matter interaction at the nanoscale. This review paper provides the general background and several snapshots of the recent results in this young yet prominent research field, focusing on two types of nonradiating states of light that both have been recently at the center of many studies in all-dielectric resonant meta-optics and metasurfaces: optical {\em anapoles} and photonic {\em bound states in the continuum}. We discuss a brief history of these states in optics, their underlying physics and manifestations, and also emphasize their differences and similarities. We also review some applications of such novel photonic states in both linear and nonlinear optics for the nanoscale field enhancement, a design of novel dielectric structures with high-$Q$ resonances, nonlinear wave mixing and enhanced harmonic generation, as well as advanced concepts for lasing and optical neural networks.

/pdf/nonradiating-photonics-with-resonant-dielectric-20pyaix3vs.pdf

Nonradiating photonics with resonant dielectric nanostructures

All-dielectric metasurfaces are a versatile platform to investigate a host of unconventional physical scattering responses. Effects, including high absorption and Huygens’ surfaces, have been demonstrated; however, a more exotic materialization—termed bound states in the continuum (BSCs)—exists and consists of nonradiating localized waves that lie within the energy spectrum of the continuum. Here we experimentally demonstrate a dynamic BSC at terahertz frequencies that realizes a material-limited high-quality factor (Q) resonance Q=8.7×103, which may be modified by over 2 orders of magnitude through photodoping with band gap light. We elucidate the nature of the BSC resonance, and our experimental results are well supported by eigenvalue and S-parameter simulations. The demonstrated system and underlying theory establish a path to realize extremely high-Q dynamic resonances, which may be useful for detection of hazardous materials and frequency-diverse imaging.

/pdf/dynamic-bound-states-in-the-continuum-45iizfl7l1.pdf

Dynamic bound states in the continuum

The aim of the paper is to provide the mathematical foundation of effective numerical algorithms for the optimal design of periodic binary gratings. Special attention is paid to reliable methods for the computation of diffraction efficiencies and of the gradients of certain functionals with respect to the parameters of the non-smooth grating profile. The methods are based on a generalized finite element discretization of strongly elliptic variational formulations of quasi-periodic transmission problems for the Helmholtz equation in a bounded domain coupled with boundary integral representations in the exterior. We prove uniqueness and existence results for quite general situations and analyse the convergence of the numerical solutions. Furthermore, explicit formulas for the partial derivatives of the reflection and transmission coefficients with respect to the parameters of a binary grating profile are derived. Finally, we briefly discuss the implementation of the generalized finite element method for solving direct and adjoint diffraction problems and present some numerical results.

Diffraction in periodic structures and optimal design of binary gratings. Part I: direct problems and gradient formulas

I review the four mechanisms of bound states in the continuum (BICs) in application to microwave and acoustic cavities open to directional waveguides. The most simple are the symmetry protected BICs which are localized inside the cavity because of the orthogonality of the eigenmodes to the propagating modes of waveguides. However, the most general and interesting is the Friedrich-Wintgen mechanism when the BICs are result of full destructive interference of outgoing resonant modes. The third type of the BICs, the Fabry-Perot BICs, occur in a double resonator system when each resonator can serve as an ideal mirror. At last, the accidental BICs can be realized in the open cavities with no symmetry like the open Sinai billiard in which the eigenmode of the resonator can become orthogonal to the continuum of the waveguide accidentally by a smooth deformation of the eigenmode. We also review the one-dimensional systems in which the BICs occur owing to full destructive interference of two waves separated by spin or polarization or by paths in the Aharonov-Bohm rings. We widely use the method of effective non-Hermitian Hamiltonian equivalent to the coupled mode theory which detects bound states in the continuum (BICs) by finding zero widths resonances.

Interference traps waves in open system: Bound states in the continuum

We consider the two-dimensional scalar problem of the diffraction of a plane wave by an infinite grating of conducting bodies immersed in a periodical dielectric medium. A Fredholm-type formulation is derived and studied. The existence of a solution is proved and some uniqueness results are established. A detailed description of the guided modes of the grating is carried out. Finally, various non-uniqueness examples for the diffraction problem are exhibited.

Felipe Starling

Papers

Guided waves by electromagnetic gratings and non‐uniqueness examples for the diffraction problem