Observation of chiral bound states in the continuum in self-biased magneto-optical photonic crystals
4 affiliations
- 1State Key Laboratory of Optical Fiber and Cable Manufacturing Technology, Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics Intellisense, Southern University of Science and Technology
- 2National Engineering Research Center of Electromagnetic Radiation Control Materials, State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Film and Integrated Devices, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
- 3School of Physics and New Energy, Chongqing University of Technology
- 4Marine Science and Technology Domain, Beijing Institute of Technology
Abstract
Chiral bound states in the continuum (BICs) are confined photonic modes with infinite quality factors and chiral response, offering significant potential for chiral optics. Although a novel type of spin-orbital-locking chiral BIC was recently predicted in magneto-optical (MO) photonic crystals (PhCs) that break time-reversal symmetry (TRS), its experimental realization has remained elusive. Here, we report an experimental observation of such chiral BICs in self-biased MO PhCs, which operate without external magnetic fields. Moreover, we experimentally demonstrate that the chirality and the surrounding near-circular polarization of these chiral BICs can be switched simply by reversing the remanent magnetization, without any structural changes. Unlike conventional chiral BICs that preserve TRS, these magnetically induced chiral BICs exhibit exceptional robustness against structural imperfections and perturbations. This work represents a significant advancement in topological photonics for chiral BICs, opening pathways toward robust chiral optical devices.
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BibTeX
@article{gong2026observation,
title = {{Observation of chiral bound states in the continuum in self-biased magneto-optical photonic crystals}},
author = {Maohua Gong and Qiutong Zhen and Yujie Tang and Peng Hu and Qingan Tu and Yan Meng and Peiheng Zhou and Gao Z},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences},
year = {2026},
month = may,
doi = {10.1073/pnas.2536341123},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2536341123},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Observation of chiral bound states in the continuum in self-biased magneto-optical photonic crystals
AU - Maohua Gong
AU - Qiutong Zhen
AU - Yujie Tang
AU - Peng Hu
AU - Qingan Tu
AU - Yan Meng
AU - Peiheng Zhou
AU - Gao Z
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/05/21
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
DO - 10.1073/pnas.2536341123
UR - https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2536341123
AB - Chiral bound states in the continuum (BICs) are confined photonic modes with infinite quality factors and chiral response, offering significant potential for chiral optics. Although a novel type of spin-orbital-locking chiral BIC was recently predicted in magneto-optical (MO) photonic crystals (PhCs) that break time-reversal symmetry (TRS), its experimental realization has remained elusive. Here, we report an experimental observation of such chiral BICs in self-biased MO PhCs, which operate without external magnetic fields. Moreover, we experimentally demonstrate that the chirality and the surrounding near-circular polarization of these chiral BICs can be switched simply by reversing the remanent magnetization, without any structural changes. Unlike conventional chiral BICs that preserve TRS, these magnetically induced chiral BICs exhibit exceptional robustness against structural imperfections and perturbations. This work represents a significant advancement in topological photonics for chiral BICs, opening pathways toward robust chiral optical devices.
SN - 0027-8424
SN - 1091-6490
ER -