Controlling Directionality and Dimensionality of Radiation by Perturbing Separable Bound States in the Continuum

A bound state in the continuum (BIC) is an unusual localized state that is embedded in a continuum of extended states. Here, we present the general condition for BICs to arise from wave equation separability. Then we show that by exploiting perturbations of certain symmetry such BICs can be turned i...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hsu, Chia Wei, Buljan, Hrvoje, Rivera, Nicholas H., Zhen, Bo, Joannopoulos, John, Soljacic, Marin
Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics
Format: Article
Language:en_US
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2017
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/108387
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7572-4594
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7244-3682
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7184-5831
Description
Summary:A bound state in the continuum (BIC) is an unusual localized state that is embedded in a continuum of extended states. Here, we present the general condition for BICs to arise from wave equation separability. Then we show that by exploiting perturbations of certain symmetry such BICs can be turned into resonances that radiate with a tailorable directionality and dimensionality. Using this general framework, we construct new examples of separable BICs and resonances that can exist in optical potentials for ultracold atoms, photonic systems, and systems described by tight binding. Such resonances with easily reconfigurable radiation allow for applications such as the storage and release of waves at a controllable rate and direction, as well systems that switch between different dimensions of confinement.