Experimental demonstration of chiral bound states in the continuum enabled by time-reversal-symmetry breaking
Phys. Rev. A 114, 043514 – Published 13 October, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/x4bj-tynz
Abstract
Bound states in the continuum (BICs) provide a powerful route to optical resonances with vanishing radiation loss and enhanced light-matter interactions. Of particular interest are chiral BICs, whose resonant states exhibit intrinsic circular polarization and spin-selective radiation. Magneto-optical photonic crystals were recently predicted to host such states through time-reversal-symmetry breaking. Here, we experimentally demonstrate chiral BICs induced by time-reversal-symmetry breaking in a magneto-optical photonic crystal, where an out-of-plane magnetic field lifts a degenerate BIC pair into two nondegenerate resonances with opposite circular polarizations. Numerical simulations reveal the associated chiral phase vortices and strong spin-selective radiation, while microwave measurements confirm the predicted behavior through angle-resolved transmission spectra and pronounced broadband circular dichroism. Our results establish an experimental platform for exploring chiral BIC physics in magneto-optical photonic structures, opening opportunities for spin-selective photonics.