Arbitrary polarization generation in magneto-optical metasurfaces enabled by bound states in the continuum

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Authors: Siyuan Gao, Guangtai LU, Satoshi Iwamoto, Yasutomo Ota
Cited by: 1
References: 48

Abstract

The generation of arbitrary polarization states of light is essential for optical communication and photonic information processing. Photonic crystal and metasurface platforms supporting bound states in the continuum (BICs) provide a powerful route for polarization engineering by tailoring the radiation from the resonant modes. However, existing approaches typically rely on static structural symmetry breaking or off-normal radiation, which limits continuous polarization tuning of vertical radiation. Here, we demonstrate a magneto-optical metasurface that generates arbitrary polarization states of light at normal radiation. By applying an external magnetic field with variable orientation, a symmetry-protected BIC is transformed into a quasi-BIC whose radiation polarization can be continuously tuned. The magneto-optical perturbation drives the controlled migration of polarization singularities in momentum space, allowing the emitted states to continuously span the entire Poincaré sphere without structural modification. This approach establishes a compact platform for actively tunable polarization sources and polarization-encoded photonic devices.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Metamaterials and Metasurfaces Applications Plasmonic and Surface Plasmon Research Photonic Crystals and Applications

Publication details

Journal / source
Optics Letters
Publisher
Optica Publishing Group
Volume
51
Issue
10
Pages
2884–2884
Publication date
24 April 2026
Language
EN