Friedrich-Wintgen bound states in the continuum in dimerized dielectric metasurfaces

Abstract: Bound states in the continuum (BIC) are trapped eigenmodes with infinite $Q$ factors that are confined in the system. In this work, we propose a simple design for engineering a Friedrich-Wintgen BIC through the interference between a symmetry protected BIC and a surface lattice mode in a dimerized dielectric metasurface. The meta-atoms are comprised a symmetric double bar dimer. Using incident angle tuning an avoided crossing between the symmetry protected BIC and surface lattice mode is observed. At a specific detuning, the lower energy resonance vanishes, resulting in the formation of a Friedrich-Wintgen BIC. Investigations using coupled mode theory elucidate the role of the damping rate and coupling strength in the formation of the Friedrich-Wintgen BIC in the dimerized bar metasurface. By tuning the spacing between the two bars, Friedrich-Wintgen BIC can be engineered with controlled energy and damping rate. It is shown that the damping rate of the coupled modes can be considerably suppressed in this system. We envision that these results will not only enhance the understanding of strongly coupled interactions in metasurfaces but also indicate new paths for actively and passively controlling metasurface resonators for photonic applications.