Moire Quasibound States in the Continuum

The novel physics of twisted bilayer graphene has motivated extensive studies of magic-angle flat bands hosted by moire??structures in electronic, photonic, and acoustic systems. On the other hand, bound states in the continuum (BICs) have also attracted great attention in recent years because of their potential applications in the field of designing superior optical devices. Here, we combine these two independent concepts to construct a new optical state in a twisted bilayer photonic crystal slab, which is called as moire?? quasi-BIC, and numerically demonstrate that such an exotic optical state possesses dual characteristics of moire?? flat bands and quasi-BICs. To illustrate the mechanism for the formation of moire?? flat bands, we develop an effective model at the center of the Brillouin zone and show that moire?? flat bands could be fulfilled by balancing the interlayer coupling strength and the twist angle around the band edge above the light line. Moreover, by decreasing the twist angle of moire?? photonic crystal slabs with flat bands, it is shown that the moire??flat-band mode at the Brillouin center gradually approaches a perfect BIC, where the total radiation loss from all diffraction channels is significantly suppressed. To clarify the advantage of moire??quasi-BICs, enhanced second-harmonic generation (SHG) is numerically proven with a wide-angle optical source. The efficiency of SHG assisted by designed moire?? quasi-BICs can be greatly improved compared with that based on dispersive quasi-BICs with similar quality factors.

Automated summary

This study combines the concept of moire structures in twisted bilayer photonic crystal slabs with the notion of bound states in the continuum (BICs) to create a new optical state, referred to as moire quasi-BIC. It demonstrates that this state possesses characteristics of moire flat bands and quasi-BICs. The research also explores the mechanism behind the formation of moire flat bands and shows that decreasing the twist angle can lead to a near-perfect BIC with significantly reduced radiation loss. Additionally, it highlights the advantage of moire quasi-BICs in enhancing second-harmonic generation (SHG) compared to dispersive quasi-BICs.