Bound states in the continuum enabling ultra-narrowband perfect absorption

Abstract

Resonant dielectric metasurfaces have been demonstrated to hold a great promise for manipulation of light-wave dispersion at the nanoscale due to their resonant photonic environment and high refractive index. However, the efficiency of devices based on dielectric nanostructures is usually limited by the quality (Q) factor of their resonant modes. The physics of the bound sates in the continuum (BICs) provide an elegant solution for control over the Q factor of resonant modes. Here, by engineering the substrate of Si-based metasurfaces, we demonstrate two eigenmodes that exhibit an intrinsic magnetic dipole (MD)character and have an infinite radiation lifetime. We reveal that they are characterized by in-plane and out-of-plane MD modes and respectively correspond to two groups of BICs, that is, Fabry–Pérot BICs and symmetry-protected BICs. Using temporal coupled-mode theory and numerical simulations, we show that these BIC modes can transform into high-Q quasi-BIC resonances with near-unity absorption under normal incidence through tuning structural parameters. Our work provides a promising route to use BIC-inspired metasurfaces for designing ultra-narrowband absorbers which can be used as absorption filters, photodetectors, and sensors.