Coherent light-emitting metasurfaces based on bound states in the continuum

An emergent need exists for solid state tunable coherent light emitters in the mid-infrared range for spectroscopy, sensing, and communication applications where current light sources are dominated by spontaneous emitters. This paper demonstrates a distinct class of coherent thermal emitters operating in the mid-infrared wavelength regime. The structure of the light source consists of a dielectric metasurface fabricated on a phononic substrate. In this study, we present the first implementation of off-Γ Friedrich-Wintgen bound states in the continuum at mid-infrared wavelengths suitable for developing the next generation of coherent light emitters. Numerical analysis of the emissivity spectrum reveals the interference of resonances leading to avoided crossings and the formation of Friedrich-Wintgen bound states in the radiation spectrum. Additionally, significant localized field enhancements are observed within the metasurface at operating wavelengths. The emissivity spectra measured by reflectivity and emission experiments exhibit temporally coherent emission peaks in the vicinity of the bound state in the continuum, the first such demonstration in the mid-infrared region for wavelengths longer than 7 µm. These results represent a new approach for significant advancement in realizing mid-infrared coherent light emitters with promising implications for future technologies.