Quasi bound states in the continuum with few unit cells of photonic crystal slab

Bound states in the continuum (BICs) in photonic crystal slabs represent the resonances with an infinite quality (Q)-factor, occurring above the light line for an infinitely periodic structure. We show that a set of BICs can turn into quasi-BICs with a very high Q-factor even for two or three unit cell structures.

They are explained by a viewpoint of BICs originating from the tight-binding of individual resonances of each unit cell as in semiconductors. Combined with a reciprocal-space matching technique, the microcavities based on quasi-BICs can achieve a Q-factor as high as defect-based PhC microcavities. These results may enable the experimental studies of BICs in a compact platform as well as realizing high-Q mirrorless microcavities.