Bound states in the continuum in periodic structures with structural disorder

Abstract We study the effect of structural disorder on the transition from the bound states in the continuum (BICs) to quasi-BICs by the example of the periodic photonic structure composed of two layers of parallel dielectric rods. We uncover the specificity in the robustness of the symmetry-protected and accidental BICs against various types of structural disorder. We analyze how the spatial mode localization induced by the structural disorder results in an effective reduction of the system length and limits the Q factor of quasi-BICs. Our results are essential for the practical implementation of BICs especially in natural and self-assembled photonic structures, where the structural disorder plays a crucial role.