Search

Dirac points (DP) in Hermitian systems play a key role in topological phenomena. Their existence in non-Hermitian systems is then desirable, but the addition of loss or gain transforms DPs into pairs of Exceptional Points (EPs) joined by a Fermi arc, which exhibit interesting but different properties. When the transition to a non-Hermitian system results from the opening of a radiation channel, the system can also support bound states in the continuum (BICs), which are non-radiative resonant states that appear within the band of radiation states. We theoretically show that simultaneous band-crossing of two BICs can prevent the formation of EPs and Fermi arcs, resulting in genuine Hermitian DPs, which are nonetheless embedded in the continuum of radiation states. Dirac points embedded in the continuum (DECs) are a new topological entity that combines the rich physics associated with DPs with the ideal resonant properties of BICs in non-Hermitian systems.

Surface bound states in the continuum (SBICs) have been found to occur in diverse settings, but so far always at the interface of non-homogeneous media, such as discrete lattices or periodic systems. Here we show that they can also exist at the interface of homogeneous media, resulting in unique SBICs. Specifically, we found that, contrary to general belief, leaky Dyakonov states exist at the interface between materials that exhibit opposite signs of anisotropy. In addition, properly breaking the anisotropy-symmetry leads to the formation of both guided states and also SBICs embedded within the continuum. A direct implication of our finding is the possibility to create SBICs and Dyakonov states in a whole new class of materials and metamaterials.

We show that anisotropic planar anti-guiding waveguide structures with two radiation channels towards the surrounding cladding materials can support unidirectional guided resonances (UGRs), where radiation is cancelled in one of the radiation channels and redirected into the other. Their formation is subtle as it requires breaking the so-called polar anisotropy-symmetry of the structures. Then, UGRs appear at specific wavelengths and light propagation directions, are robust, and are characterised by phase singularities in the channel in which radiation is cancelled. The mechanism we describe allows for ready selection of the radiation direction, as well as tuning of the wavelength and the propagation angle at which UGRs occur.

Bound states in the continuum (BICs) exist in a variety of physical systems where they appear as lossless propagating states surrounded by radiating modes. However, in the case of open systems, they coexist with continuous families of guided states, which may be modes or other BICs, located in different regions of the frequency-momentum parameter space. Here we report that waveguiding structures comprising anisotropic materials with two radiation channels where continuous families of modes are not possible whatsoever can support discrete BICs that exist for a single frequency and a single propagation direction. The results are isolated spectrally-discrete BIC states existing as lossless needles emerging from a sea of radiating leaky modes.

We show that symmetric planar waveguides made of a film composed of a type II hyperbolic metamaterial, where the optical axis (OA) lays parallel to the waveguide interfaces, result in a series of topological transitions in the dispersion diagram as the film electrical thickness increases. The transitions are mediated by elliptical mode branches, which, as soon as they grow from cutoff, coalesce along the OA with anomalously ordered hyperbolic mode branches, resulting in a saddle point. When the electrical thickness of the film increases further, the merged branch starts a transition to hyperbolic normally ordered modes with propagation direction orthogonal to the OA. In this process, the saddle point is transformed into a branch point where a new branch of Ghost waves appears and slow light is observed for a broad range of thicknesses.

We uncover the existence of Dirac and exceptional points in waveguides made of anisotropic materials, and study the transition between them. Dirac points in the dispersion diagram appear at propagation directions where the matrix describing the eigenvalue problem for bound states splits into two blocks, sorting the eigenmodes either by polarization or by inner mode symmetry. Introducing a non-Hermitian channel via a suitable leakage mechanism causes the Dirac points to transform into exceptional points connected by a Fermi arc. The exceptional points arise as improper hybrid leaky states and, importantly, are found to occur always out of the anisotropy symmetry planes., Comment: 7 Figures

Radiation of leaky modes existing in anisotropic waveguides can be cancelled by destructive interference at special propagation directions relative to the optical axis orientation, resulting in fully bound states surrounded by radiative modes. Here we study the variation of the loci of such special directions in terms of the waveguide constitutive parameters. We show that the angular loci of the bound states is sensitive to several design parameters, allowing bound states to exist for a broad range of angular directions and wavelengths and suggesting applications in filtering and sensing., Comment: 4 figures

Waveguiding structures made of anisotropic media support bound states in the continuum (BICs) that arise when the radiation channel of otherwise semi-leaky modes is suppressed. Hitherto, only structures with optical axes aligned in symmetric orientations inside the waveguide plane, where BICs appear as lines in the momentum-frequency dispersion diagram, have been considered. Here we address settings where such symmetry is broken and unveil a number of fundamental new features. Weak and strong symmetry-breaking regimes are identified, corresponding to azimuthal and polar optical axes orientation asymmetries, respectively. The azimuthal symmetry-breaking is found to still preserve the existence loci of BICs in the momentum-frequency dispersion diagram as lines. However, all possible BICs become interferometric, while the polarization separable states that occur in symmetric settings cease to exist. The polar symmetry-breaking has stronger effects and transforms the BICs' existence loci from lines to points, which correspond to full-vector states that exist at discrete values of the optical axis orientation for a given wavelength. Such transformation results in fundamental changes in the topological properties of the radiated field around the BICs., Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures

Bound states in the continuum (BICs) are radiationless localized states embedded in the part of the parameter space that otherwise corresponds to radiative modes. Many decades after their original prediction and early observations in acoustic systems, such states have been demonstrated recently in photonic structures with engineered geometries. Here, we put forward a mechanism, based on waveguiding structures that contain anisotropic birefringent materials, that affords the existence of BICs with fundamentally new properties. In particular, anisotropy-induced BICs may exist in symmetric as well as in asymmetric geometries; they form in tunable angular propagation directions; their polarization may be pure transverse electric, pure transverse magnetic or full vector with tunable polarization hybridity; and they may be the only possible bound states of properly designed structures, and thus appear as a discrete, isolated bound state embedded in a whole sea of radiative states., Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures

Enhanced polarization conversion in reflection for the Otto and Kretschmann configurations is introduced as a new method for hybrid-mode spectroscopy. Polarization conversion in reflection appears when hybrid-modes are excited in a guiding structure composed of at least one anisotropic media. In contrast to a dark dip, in this case modes are associated to a peak in the converted reflectance spectrum, increasing the detection sensitivity and avoiding confusion with reflection dips associated with other processes as can be transmission., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

We theoretically investigate the existence and properties of hybrid surface waves forming at interfaces between left-handed materials and dielectric birefringent media. The existence conditions of such waves are found to be highly relaxed in comparison to the original hybrid surface waves, discovered by Dyakonov, in configurations involving birefringent materials and right-handed media. Hybrid surface waves in left-handed materials feature remarkable properties: (i) a high degree of localization and (ii) coexistence of several guided solutions. The existence of several hybrid surface waves for the same parameter set is linked to the birefringent nature of the medium whereas the strong localization is related to the presence of the left-handed material. The hybrid surface modes appear for large areas in the parameter space., Comment: 11 pages, 6 figures