Robust Quasi-Bound States in the continuum: Accidental and Symmetry-Protected Variants in Dielectric Metasurfaces

Abstract

Recently, man-made dielectric materials composed of finite-sized dielectric constituents have emerged as a promising platform for quasi-bound states in the continuum (QBICs). These states allow for an extraordinary confinement of light within regions smaller than the wavelength scale. Known for their exceptional quality factors, they have become crucial assets across a diverse array of applications. Given the circumstances, there is a compelling drive to find meta-designs that can possess multiple QBICs. Here, we demonstrate the existence of two different types of QBICs in silicon-based metasurfaces: accidental QBIC and symmetry-protected QBIC. The accidental QBIC evinces notable resilience to variations in geometrical parameters and symmetry, underscoring its capacity to adeptly navigate manufacturing tolerances while consistently upholding a distinguished quality factor of $10^5$. Conversely, the symmetry-protected QBIC inherently correlates with the disruption of unit cell symmetry. As a result, a phase delay yields an efficient channel for substantial energy transference to the continuum, endowing this variant with an exceedingly high quality factor, approaching $10^8$. Moreover, the manifestation of these QBICs stems from the intricate interplay among out-of-plane electric and magnetic dipoles, alongside in-plane quadrupoles exhibiting odd parities.