High-Q Resonances Induced by Toroidal Dipole Bound States in the Continuum in Terahertz Metasurfaces

The radiation mode of the interaction between electromagnetic waves and materials has always been a research hotspot in nanophotonics, and bound states in the continuum (BICs) belong to one of the nonradiative modes. Owing to their high-quality factor characteristics, BICs are extensively employed in nonlinear harmonic generators and sensors. Here, the influence of structural parameters on radiation modes has been systematically analyzed using band theory; the mechanisms of quasi-BIC mode and BIC mode were also analyzed through multipole decomposition of scattered power and near-field distribution. Notably, this study presents the discovery that the toroidal dipole-BIC (TD-BIC) arises from the interference and cancellation of electric and toroidal dipoles. The research results indicate that the structure, which supports symmetry-protected BICs, is sensitive to variations in the concentration of NaCl solution in its surroundings, making it applicable for liquid detection in miniaturized metal sensors. The proposed scheme broadens the applicability of BIC-based sensors and provides a prospective platform for biological and chemical sensing.