Results in Physics 54 (2023) 107102

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Results in Physics
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/rinp

Switchable high-Q electromagnetically induced transparency based on the

Ge2Sb2Te5 nanodisk dimers
Zhe-Yu Liu a, Bin Fang b, Zhong-Wei Jin b, Dong-Qin Zhang a, c, *, Gui-Ming Pan b, Zhi-Wei Jiao a,
Chang-Yu Shen b, Zhi Hong d, Fang-Zhou Shu d, *
a
Department of Physics, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
b
Institute of Optoelectronic Technology, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
c
National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures and School of Physics, and Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, Nanjing University,
Nanjing 210093, China
d
Centre for Terahertz Research, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: Bound states in the continuum (BICs) based on metasurfaces have gained significant attention recently to
Metasurfaces enhance the strength of light-matter interaction. However, most BIC metasurfaces possess fixed optical properties
Phase-change materials once they have been fabricated. In this study, we introduce the concept of BICs to the phase-change metasurfaces
Bound states in the continuum
composed of Ge2Sb2Te5 nanodisk dimers. The Ge2Sb2Te5 nanodisk dimers can support a low-Q transverse
Electromagnetically induced transparency
High-Q
magnetic dipole resonance, a high-Q toroidal dipole resonance and a high-Q longitudinal magnetic dipole
resonance. By adjusting geometric parameter, the high-Q longitudinal magnetic dipole resonance can be con­
verted into a BIC mode. Notably, when Ge2Sb2Te5 is in the amorphous phase, high-Q electromagnetically
induced transparency (EIT)-like resonances can be achieved due to the interaction between a low-Q transverse
magnetic dipole mode and either a high-Q toroidal dipole mode or a high-Q longitudinal magnetic dipole mode.
However, the EIT resonances are switched off when Ge2Sb2Te5 is transformed into the crystalline phase.
Furthermore, the high-Q EIT resonances enable the realization of an ultrahigh group refractive index, and can be
tuned through the phase transition of Ge2Sb2Te5. The switchable high-Q EIT resonances hold potential appli­
cations in slow-light devices, optical modulators, and biosensors.

Introduction
Metasurfaces have made significant advancements in the manipu­
lation of light at the nanoscale over the past decade [1,2]. They rely on
the resonant modes in subwavelength metallic or dielectric structures to
enhance the light-matter interaction. Particularly, dielectric nano­
structures can support a variety of Mie resonant modes [3,4], such as
electric dipole (ED), magnetic dipole (MD), toroidal dipole (TD), and
their higher-order multipoles. On the one hand, these Mie resonant
modes can enhance the electromagnetic near-field, as well as manipu­
late the amplitude, phase, and polarization of the far-field. On the other
hand, the interference of different Mie resonant modes can lead to
intriguing phenomena, such as directional scattering [5], electromag­
netically induced transparency (EIT) [6], and anapole state [7]. How­
ever, the quality (Q)-factors of Mie resonant modes are limited by
radiative losses, which restrict the strength of the light-matter
interaction. Recently, there has been significant interest in bound states
in the continuum (BICs) because of their infinite Q-factor in theory
[8–10]. BICs are localized states with zero leakage that exist within the
continuum. Dielectric metasurfaces can serve as an excellent platform to
achieve the BICs [9,10]. The physical mechanisms for generating BICs
using dielectric metasurfaces are mainly classified into two categories:
symmetry-protected BICs and resonance-trapped BICs. Symmetry-
protected BICs arise from the incompatibility between the symmetry
of the mode and the symmetry of the radiating waves [11–16], whereas
resonance-trapped BICs result from the destructive interference of
different modes [17–20]. Ideal BICs possess infinite Q-factors and
cannot be accessed through radiating waves. However, when structural
perturbations are introduced, BICs are converted into quasi-BICs, which
can be excited with incident waves and typically exhibit high-Q reso­
nances with limited Q-factors in the transmission or reflection spectra.
Due to their ability to confine electromagnetic fields, BICs based on

* Corresponding authors at: Department of Physics, China Jiliang University, Hangzhou 310018, China.
E-mail addresses: dqzhang@cjlu.edu.cn (D.-Q. Zhang), fzshu@cjlu.edu.cn (F.-Z. Shu).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rinp.2023.107102
Received 24 August 2023; Received in revised form 16 October 2023; Accepted 18 October 2023
Available online 20 October 2023
2211-3797/© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-
nc-nd/4.0/).
Z.-Y. Liu et al.
Fig. 1. (a) Schematic of the phase-change metasurface supporting a high-Q switchable EIT resonance, which is composed of periodic GST nanodisk dimers on a silica
substrate. (b) Top view of the unit cell of the GST nanodisk dimers. (c) Real part (n1) and (d) imaginary part (n2) of complex refractive index of GST in amorphous and
crystalline phases.
dielectric metasurfaces have found applications in various areas,
including microlasers [15,17], biosensors [11], and nonlinear harmonic
generation [14].
Even though resonant modes in dielectric nanostructures have been
extensively studied, the optical properties of most dielectric meta­
surfaces remain fixed after fabrication. There has been growing interest
in tunable dielectric metasurfaces in recent years [21,22]. Traditional
dielectric metasurfaces are typically composed of materials such as sil­
icon [11,14], titanium dioxide [23], and gallium nitride [24]. Unfor­
tunately, the refractive indices of these materials are challenging to be
dynamically tuned. One approach to achieve tunable dielectric meta­
surfaces is by combining dielectric nanostructures with active materials
like liquid crystals [25], polymers [26], semiconductors [27], and
phase-change materials [28,29]. By utilizing these materials, the reso­
nant wavelength, amplitude, phase, and wavefront of the metasurfaces
can be dynamically tuned through thermal, electrical, or optical exci­
tations. Recently, Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST), as a fascinating phase-change ma­
terial, has received intensive investigation in the field of nanophotonics
[30,31]. GST is a non-volatile and reversible phase-change material that
can exist in amorphous and crystalline phases. The amorphous phase can
be transmitted into the crystalline phase by heating it above 160 ◦ C, and
it can return to the amorphous phase through rapid annealing at tem­
peratures over 640 ◦ C [32]. In addition to heat, electrical current and
optical pulse can also be employed to trigger the phase transition of GST
[30,31]. Notably, the phase transition of GST can cause a significant
change in its refractive index. The property of tunable refractive index
has allowed for the integration of GST with metasurfaces to create
various tunable optical devices, including tunable Mie resonances
[33–35], reconfigurable metalens [36–39], and switchable holograms
[40,41]. Furthermore, in addition to the phase-change characteristic,
GST is also a dielectric material with a high refractive index. Recent
studies have demonstrated tunable ED mode, MD mode, and anapole
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Results in Physics 54 (2023) 107102
state on the basis of GST nanostructures [42,43]. However, there is very
little discussion on BICs based on GST nanostructures [44]. Additionally,
a high-Q EIT resonance resulting from the coupling between a high-Q
quasi-BIC and a low-Q Mie resonance has not been reported in GST
nanostructures before.
In this study, we propose the utilization of GST nanodisk dimers to
achieve switchable high-Q EIT resonances. The GST nanodisk dimers
can support a low-Q x-direction MD resonance and a high-Q TD reso­
nance, which can be dynamically tuned through the phase transition of
GST. The Q-factor of the TD mode can be tuned by adjusting the distance
between two GST nanodisks within each unit cell. Importantly, by
altering the height of GST nanodisk dimers, a high-Q EIT resonance can
be generated due to the coupling between the low-Q x-direction MD and
high-Q TD modes. The high-Q EIT resonance is switchable based on the
phase transition of GST. Furthermore, the GST nanodisk dimers also
supports a z-direction MD-BIC mode, which is converted into a high-Q z-
direction MD resonance by breaking the symmetry in the radii of GST
nanodisk dimers. Additionally, the interaction between the high-Q z-
direction MD and low-Q x-direction MD modes can also result in a high-
Q EIT resonance, which is switchable based on the phase transition of
GST. These switchable high-Q EIT resonances hold potential for various
applications such as slow-light devices, optical modulators, and
biosensors.
Structure design and methods
Fig. 1(a) depicts the schematic of the phase-change metasurface
consisting of periodic GST nanodisk dimers on a silica substrate. As
illustrated in Fig. 1(b), the unit cell of the metasurface comprises two
GST nanodisks separated by a distance (D). The radii of the two GST
nanodisks are defined as r1 and r2, respectively, while their heights (H)
are identical. The periods (P) along both the x- and y-directions are
Z.-Y. Liu et al.
Fig. 2. (a) Transmission spectra of the GST nanodisk dimer array with different crystallinities of GST, where r1 = r2 = 270 nm, H = 370 nm, D = 20 nm, and P =
1300 nm. (b) Scattered powers of different multipole moments when GST is in the amorphous phase. (c) and (d) are the electric and magnetic field distributions at the
wavelength of 2.21 μm, respectively. (e) and (f) are the electric and magnetic field distributions at the wavelength of 2.42 μm, respectively. The YZ plane passes
through the center of the left GST nanodisk in the unit cell. The XY and XZ planes pass through the centers of the two GST nanodisks.
equal. As shown in Fig. 1(c) and (d), GST is also a high-index dielectric
material with low absorption loss in the infrared [45]. Consequently,
GST nanostructures can support various Mie resonant modes. Moreover,
the refractive index of GST can be tuned through phase transition,
enabling dynamic tuning of these Mie resonant modes via external ex­
citations. Previous studies have investigated periodic GST nanodisk ar­
rays with one GST nanodisk in the unit cell, demonstrating tunable ED
mode, MD mode, and anapole state [42,43]. In contrast, our design in­
corporates two GST nanodisks in the unit cell, leading to the observation
of high-Q TD and BIC modes, which were not observed in previous
studies. By adjusting geometric parameter, the BIC can be converted into
a quasi-BIC, resulting in a high-Q z-direction MD resonance in the
transmission spectra. Notably, the coupling between a low-Q x-direction
MD mode and a high-Q TD mode or between a low-Q x-direction MD
mode and a high-Q z-direction MD mode can generate high-Q EIT res­
onances, which are switchable based on the phase transition of GST.
The optical properties of the GST nanodisk dimer array were inves­
tigated through numerical simulations using the COMSOL Multiphysics
software. In the simulation, periodic boundary conditions were applied
in the x- and y-directions, whereas a perfectly matched layer was uti­
lized in the z-direction. The permittivities of GST in its amorphous and
crystalline phases were obtained from existing literature [45], while the
permittivity of silica was sourced from the literature [46]. As there exist
intermediate phases between the amorphous and crystalline phases of
GST, the permittivities of GST in these intermediate phases were
calculated using the Lorentz-Lorentz relation [43]:
εi − 1 εc − 1 εa − 1
=s + (1 − s)
εi + 2 εc + 2 εa + 2
where εi, εc, and εa denote the permittivities of the intermediate, crys­
talline, and amorphous phases of GST, respectively, and the crystallinity
of GST is defined as s. The geometric parameters of the GST nanodisk
dimer array are r1 = r2 = 270 nm, H = 370 nm, D = 20 nm, and P = 1300
nm, respectively. The incident light used in all simulations was polarized
along the y-direction.
Results in Physics 54 (2023) 107102
Results and discussion
Fig. 2(a) displays the calculated transmission spectra of the GST
nanodisk dimer array with varying crystallinities of GST. Two dips are
observed at wavelengths of 2.21 and 2.42 μm for GST in the amorphous
phase. Notably, the dip at 2.42 μm exhibits a narrower linewidth
compared to the dip at 2.21 μm. To elucidate the origin of these dips, the
electric and magnetic field distributions were calculated at the resonant
wavelengths, as depicted in Fig. 2(c)–(f). At the wavelength of 2.21 μm,
the magnetic field aligns with the x-direction, while a circular electric
field is formed in the YZ plane, as shown in Fig. 2(c) and (d). Conse­
quently, the dip at 2.21 μm arises from the excitation of the MD mode,
with the MD moment oriented along the x-direction. Conversely, at the
wavelength of 2.42 μm, two circular electric fields with opposite di­
rections are generated in the XY plane of the two GST nanodisks, while a
circular magnetic field is formed in the XZ plane, as depicted in Fig. 2(e)
and (f). Therefore, the dip at 2.42 μm arises from the excitation of the TD
mode [12,47–51], with the TD moment oriented along the y-direction.
Furthermore, in comparison to the MD resonance, the TD resonance
exhibits a more pronounced electromagnetic field enhancement within
the interior of GST nanodisk dimers, resulting in a narrower linewidth in
the transmission spectra.
The origin of the two dips can be further examined using the
multipole decomposition [12,47–51]. The scattered powers of different
multipole moments were calculated through the COMSOL Multiphysics
software using the following steps. Firstly, the current density in the unit
cell of the GST nanodisk dimers were obtained by J = -iωε0(n2-1)E,
(1) where ω denotes the angular frequency, ε0 is the permittivity in vacuum,
n is the refractive index of structure, and E represents the electric field.
Then, the Cartesian multipole moments can be computed using the
following formulas [12,51]:
→ 1
∫
→ 3
P = jd r (2a)
iω
∫
→ 1 →
M= (→
r × j )d3 r (2b)
2c
3
Z.-Y. Liu et al. Results in Physics 54 (2023) 107102

Fig. 3. (a) Transmission spectra of the GST nanodisk dimers with different distances D between two nanodisks for GST in the amorphous phase. (b) Q-factors of the
TD resonance with different D. (c) Band diagram along X-Γ-X’ (kP/2π) of the GST nanodisk dimers with GST in the amorphous phase when D is 109 nm. The solid line
is a TE mode, and the dotted line is the light line. (d) and (e) are electric and magnetic field distributions of the TE mode at the Γ point, respectively. The XY and XZ
planes pass through the centers of the two GST nanodisks.

→ 1
∫
→ → observed at 2.21 and 2.42 μm are primarily attributed to the excitation
T = [(→
r • j )→
r − 2r2 j ]d3 r (2c) of MD and TD modes, respectively, which is in accord with the analysis
10c
on the basis of the electromagnetic field distributions. When GST is
∫
1 2 → → gradually transformed from the amorphous phase to the crystalline
Qeαβ = [rα Jβ + rβ Jα − ( r • j )δαβ ]d3 r (2d) phase, both dips experience a redshift owing to the increased real part in
2iω 3
the refractive index of GST, as depicted in Fig. 2(a). However, as the
∫
1 → → crystallinity of GST increases, the dip depth of the TD resonance di­
Qmαβ = [(→
r × j )α rβ + (→
r × j )β rα ]d3 r (2e)
3c minishes, and the linewidth of the TD resonance widens. The TD reso­
nance possesses a high Q-factor, making it sensitive to the absorption
where r denotes the location, c represents the speed of light, δ is the delta loss of composite materials. Therefore, with the increase in crystallinity,
function, and α, β = x, y, z. The ED, MD, TD, electric quadrupole (EQ) the imaginary part in the refractive index of GST also rises, resulting in a
and magnetic quadrupole (MQ) moments are defined as P, M, T, Qe and decrease in the depth and broadening of the resonant dip.
Qm, respectively. Finally, the scattering powers of these multipole mo­ The geometric parameters of dielectric nanostructures have a sig­
ments can be determined using the following formulas [12,51]: nificant influence on the resonant modes [3,4]. In the following part, we
2ω4 ⃒⃒→⃒⃒2 will examine the impact of structural parameters on the optical prop­
IP = ⃒P⃒ (3a) erties of GST nanodisk dimer arrays. Fig. 3(a) displays the calculated
3c3
transmission spectra of the GST nanodisk dimer arrays with varying
2ω4 ⃒⃒→⃒⃒2 distances D for GST in the amorphous phase, where the other structural
IM = (3b)
3c3
⃒M ⃒ parameters remain the same as the structure in Fig. 2(a). The MD
resonance experiences a slight blueshift as D is increased from 0 to 110
2ω6 ⃒⃒→⃒⃒2 nm, while its linewidth remains almost unchanged. However, the line­
IT = ⃒T ⃒ (3c)
3c5 width of the TD resonance decreases and eventually disappears when D
approaches 110 nm. It is worth noting that the transmission spectra
ω6 ∑ ⃒⃒ ⃒2
⃒ remain identical when D is increased from 0 to 110 nm or decreased
I Qe = ⃒Qeαβ ⃒ (3d)
5c5 from 220 to 110 nm, as the GST nanodisk dimer array with a distance D
is equivalent to that with a distance 220-D. The Q-factors of the TD
ω6 ∑ ⃒⃒ ⃒2
⃒
I Qm = ⃒Qmαβ ⃒ (3e) resonance with different D were also determined by fitting the spectra
40c5
using the Fano formula [52]:
As illustrated in Fig. 2(b), the MD moment exhibits the highest
scattered power at the wavelength of 2.21 μm, while the TD moment (Fγ + ω − ω0 )2
I∝ (4)
dominates at the wavelength of 2.42 μm. Consequently, the dips (ω − ω0 )2 + γ 2

4
Z.-Y. Liu et al.
Fig. 4. (a) Transmission spectra of GST nanodisk dimer arrays with different heights (H) for GST in the amorphous phase. (b) Scattering powers of multipole
moments at the height of 570 nm. (c) Transmission spectra of the GST nanodisk dimer array with different crystallinities of GST, when the height is 570 nm. (d)
Group refractive indices (ng) for GST in the amorphous and crystalline phases, as the height is changed to 570 nm. (e) Transmission spectra of GST nanodisk dimer
arrays with different distance D for GST in the amorphous phase, where the height was set as 570 nm. (f) Group refractive index of the EIT resonance with different D.
where F represents the Fano parameter, γ denotes the resonant width,
and ω0 is resonant frequency. The Q-factor is calculated by Q = ω0/2γ. As
depicted in Fig. 3(b), the Q-factor of the TD resonance increases quickly
as D increases from 0 to 110 nm. When D is increased to 110 nm, the TD
resonance disappears, and the GST nanodisk dimer array is equivalent to
a single GST nanodisk array with one nanodisk in the unit cell, where the
period along the x-direction is halved (P/2). Similar phenomena have
also been observed in previous studies utilizing silicon metasurfaces
[12,50,51,53,54]. The high-Q TD resonance originates from the Bril­
louin zone folding of guided mode [51,53,54]. The band diagram of the
GST nanodisk dimers with GST in the amorphous phase was calculated
for D = 109 nm. The eigenmodes were calculated by the eigenfrequency
solver in COMSOL Multiphysics software [12,50]. In the simulations, the
Floquet periodic boundary conditions were utilized in the x- and y-di­
rections, while the perfectly matched layer was applied in the z-direc­
tion. The “extremely fine” option was chosen for the mesh to obtain
accurate solutions. As shown in Fig. 3(c), a transverse electric (TE)-like
mode above the light line is presented within the considered wavelength
range. The TE mode at the Γ point has a wavelength of 2.41 μm and a Q-
factor higher than 106. Fig. 3(d) and (e) illustrate the electric and
magnetic field distributions of the TE mode at the Γ point, revealing a TD
characteristic similar to the previously discussed TD resonance. It should
be noted that as D is set as 110 nm, the GST nanodisk dimer array is
transformed into a single GST nanodisk array, and the TE mode will
appear below the light line [51,53,54]. When D is deviated from 110 nm,
the TE band is folded due to the reduced first Brillouin zone, enabling
band edge to be folded into Γ point [51,53,54]. The TE mode appears
above the light line as the D is unequal to 110 nm, with a slightly
different wavelength when D is varied. However, as D is 110 nm, the TE
mode is converted to a guided mode below the light line [51,53,54], and
cannot be available by the incident light. Therefore, by adjusting the
distance between two GST nanodisks within each unit cell, we can
realize a TD resonance with an ultrahigh Q-factor.
Next, we will examine the impact of the height on the optical
properties of the GST nanodisk dimers. Fig. 4(a) shows the calculated
transmission spectra of GST nanodisk dimer arrays with varying heights
for GST in the amorphous phase, while keeping the other parameters the
5
Results in Physics 54 (2023) 107102
same as the structure in Fig. 2(a). It is evident that both the MD and TD
resonances experience a redshift with an increase in height. Notably, the
MD resonance exhibits a larger wavelength shift compared to the TD
resonance as the height increases. When the height reaches 570 nm, an
EIT-like resonance emerges at a wavelength of 2.58 μm, resulting from
the coupling between the MD and TD modes. At this EIT resonance, the
transmittance is close to 1, and the Q-factor is 876. The two dips around
the EIT peak occurs at 2.57 and 2.6 μm. Additionally, we calculated the
scattering powers of multipole moments at a height of 570 nm, as
depicted in Fig. 4(b). The results indicate that the scattering power of the
TD moment dominates at 2.58 μm (EIT wavelength), while the scat­
tering power of the MD moment prevails at 2.57 and 2.6 μm. Therefore,
the scattering powers of the MD and TD moments are competitive in the
vicinity of the EIT resonance. This further suggests that the EIT phe­
nomenon arises from the interaction between the MD and TD modes. As
GST is gradually transformed into the crystalline phase, the EIT peak
disappears due to the increased absorption loss in GST, as illustrated in
Fig. 4(c). Consequently, a switchable high-Q EIT resonance can be
achieved using the GST nanodisk dimer array. It is well-known that an
EIT resonance is accompanied by a large group refractive index [55,56],
which can be utilized in slow-light devices. The group refractive index ng
can be obtained using the following formula [57,58]:
c dφ(ω)
ng = − (5)
H dω
where H represents the thickness of metasurface, and φ denotes the
phase of transmitted light. The calculated group refractive indices for
GST in the amorphous and crystalline phases are presented in Fig. 4(d).
At 2.58 μm (EIT wavelength), the group refractive index can reach 1259
for GST in the amorphous phase owing to the excitation of the high-Q
EIT resonance. However, when GST is transformed into the crystalline
phase, the group refractive index at 2.58 μm decreases to 12 due to the
disappearance of the EIT resonance. Consequently, a tunable group
refractive index can be achieved using the GST nanodisk dimers.
The EIT resonance is produced through the interaction between the
MD and TD modes. The Q-factor of the TD mode can be tuned by
adjusting the distance D. Therefore, we also examine the impact of
Z.-Y. Liu et al. Results in Physics 54 (2023) 107102

Fig. 5. (a) Transmission spectra of GST nanodisk dimers with different r2 for GST in the amorphous phase. (b) Q-factors of the z-direction MD resonances with
different r2. (c) Electromagnetic field distribution of the resonance at 2.24 μm for GST in the amorphous phase, when r2 is set as 260 nm. The XY and XZ planes pass
through the centers of the two GST nanodisks. (d) Scattered powers of multipole moments when r2 = 260 nm and GST is in the amorphous phase. (e) Band diagram
along X-Γ-X’ (kP/2π) of the GST nanodisk dimers with GST in the amorphous phase when r2 = r1 = 270 nm. The solid line is a TE mode, and the dotted line is the light
line. (f) Electric and magnetic field distributions of the TE mode at the Γ point.

distance D on the EIT resonance. The calculated transmission spectra of
GST nanodisk dimer arrays with different distances D are shown in Fig. 4
(e), where the height was fixed at 570 nm and GST was in the amorphous
phase. It is observed that as the D varies from 0 to 110 nm, the linewidth
of the EIT peak decreases due to the increase in the Q-factor of the TD
mode. However, when D reaches 110 nm, the TD mode disappears,
resulting in the disappearance of the EIT phenomenon. As the D is
further increased from 110 to 220 nm, the TD mode emerges again, and
the EIT resonance reappears. The group refractive index of the EIT
resonance with different D is also calculated and shown in Fig. 4(f). It is
observed that the group refractive index at the wavelength of the EIT
peak significantly increases as the D approaches 110 nm. When the D is
set to 108 nm, the group refractive index can reach 6 × 105, which is
advantageous to the application in slow-light device. The Q-factor of EIT
resonance is around 7.4 × 105 for D chosen as 108 nm. Notably, high-Q
EIT resonances based on silicon metasurfaces have also been investi­
gated previously [6,59,60]. However, no high-Q TD mode is supported
in these works, and the calculated highest Q-factor of EIT resonance is
approximately 3 × 104 [6]. Therefore, the Q-factor of EIT resonance in
our work exceed that of the previous reports, and could be applied in
sensing [6] and high-harmonic generation [59,60]. In addition, the
high-Q EIT resonances in these investigations are static and difficult to
be dynamically tuned [6,59,60]. In contrast, the high-Q EIT resonance in
our work is switchable based on the phase transition of GST.
The symmetry-protected BIC has been extensively studied in
dielectric metasurface [11–16]. By breaking the structural symmetry,
the BIC can be converted into a quasi-BIC. Here, we change the radius of
one nanodisk in the unit cell to break the structural symmetry, and
analyze this impact on the optical properties of the GST nanodisk di­
mers. Fig. 5(a) displays the transmission spectra of GST nanodisk dimers
with different r2 for GST in the amorphous phase, where the center
distance of the two GST nanodisks is fixed at 560 nm, and r1, P, and h
remain the same as the structure in Fig. 2(a). When r2 is decreased from
270 to 260 nm, the resonant wavelengths of the MD and TD resonances
shift to 2.19 and 2.39 μm, respectively. Notably, a new Fano-type
resonance is observed at a wavelength of 2.24 μm. To understand the
origin of this resonance, the electromagnetic field distributions at 2.24
μm were calculated and presented in Fig. 5(c). It is observed that the
electric fields inside the two GST nanodisks are anticlockwise in the XY
plane, while the magnetic fields inside the two GST nanodisks align
along the z-direction. Therefore, the resonance at 2.24 μm is attributed
to the excitation of the MD mode with a dipole moment along the z-
direction. It is important to note that the MD mode at 2.24 μm differs
from the MD mode at 2.19 μm, where the dipole moment of the latter is
along the x-direction as we discussed previously. The Cartesian multi­
pole decomposition is also employed to further determine the origin of
the resonance. As shown in Fig. 5(d), the scattered power of the z-
component MD moment dominates at the wavelength of 2.24 μm. Thus,
the resonance at 2.24 μm is indeed attributed to the excitation of the z-
direction MD mode, consistent with the analysis on the basis of the
electromagnetic field. The z-direction MD resonance emerges when r2
deviates from 270 nm, and disappears as r2 is equal to r1 (270 nm). Fig. 5
(b) presents the retrieved Q-factors of the z-direction MD resonances
with different r2. The Q-factor significantly increases as the radius dif­
ference (r1-r2) decreases and diverges when r2 is equal to r1, which is a
characteristic feature of BICs [13]. Additionally, the band diagram of the
GST nanodisk dimers for GST in the amorphous phase is calculated when
r2 = r1 = 270 nm. As shown in Fig. 5(e), a TE mode is present within the
considered wavelength range. The Q-factor of the TE mode at the Γ point
exceeds 106, limited by the absorption and dispersion of GST, as well as
the influence of the silica substrate [61]. Fig. 5(f) displays the electric
and magnetic field distributions of the TE mode at the Γ point. The
electromagnetic fields of the TE mode resemble those of the z-direction
MD resonance in Fig. 5(c). Hence, the GST nanodisk dimers exhibit the

6
Z.-Y. Liu et al. Results in Physics 54 (2023) 107102

Fig. 6. (a) Transmission spectra of the GST nanodisk dimer array with different crystallinities of GST, where r2 is decreased to 240 nm. (b) Scattered powers of
multipole moments when r2 = 240 nm and GST is in the amorphous phase. (c) Group refractive indices (ng) for GST in the amorphous and crystalline phases, as r2 is
set as 240 nm.

Fig. 7. (a) Transmission spectra of GST nanodisk dimers with varying radii (r1 and r2). (b) Transmission spectra of GST nanodisk dimers with varying distances (D).
(c) Transmission spectra of GST nanodisk dimers with varying heights (H). (d) Transmission spectra of GST nanodisk dimers with varying periods (P). All trans­
mission spectra were calculated with GST in the amorphous phase.

capability to support a MD-BIC mode, which can be converted into a
quasi-BIC by changing the radius of one nanodisk, leading to a high-Q
MD resonance in the transmission spectrum.
The reduction in r2 causes a blueshift in both the x-direction and z-
direction MD modes, as depicted in Fig. 5(a). Notably, the z-direction
MD mode experiences a greater wavelength shift compared to the x-
direction MD mode. When r2 is decreased to 240 nm, an EIT-like phe­
nomenon is observed at a wavelength of 2.153 μm for GST in the
amorphous phase, as illustrated in Fig. 6(a). The transmittance at the
peak is 0.94, and the Q-factor reaches 1328. The two dips around the EIT
peak occurs at 2.145 and 2.16 μm. Additionally, the Cartesian scattered
powers of various multipole moments were calculated in this case, as
shown in Fig. 6(b). The scattering power of the z-component MD
moment dominates at 2.153 μm (EIT wavelength), while the scattering
power of the x-component MD moment are nearly equal to that of the z-
component MD moment at 2.145 and 2.16 μm. Therefore, the scattering
powers of the x-component MD and z-component MD moments are
competitive in the vicinity of the EIT resonance. Consequently, the EIT
phenomenon is attributed to the interaction between these two types of
MD modes. As GST is gradually transformed into the crystalline phase,
the EIT resonance vanishes due to the increased absorption loss of GST.
Therefore, a switchable EIT can be achieved by utilizing the GST
nanodisk dimer array. Furthermore, the group refractive indices for GST
in the amorphous and crystalline phases were calculated, with r2 set at
240 nm. As depicted in Fig. 6(c), the group refractive index at 2.153 μm
can reach 2700 for GST in the amorphous phase. However, it decreases
to 23 when GST is transmitted into the crystalline phase. Therefore, a
switchable slow-light device can be realized based on the GST nanodisk

7
Z.-Y. Liu et al.
dimers.
So far, we have numerically demonstrated switchable high-Q EIT
resonances based on the GST nanodisk dimers. The GST nanodisk dimers
can be fabricated experimentally by magnetic sputtering of a GST film,
followed by E-beam lithography and inductively coupled plasma-
reactive ion etching [40,43]. We also examine the effect of structural
parameters on the EIT resonance. As previously discussed in Fig. 4(a), a
high-Q EIT is realized when the height (H) is 570 nm, while the other
geometric parameters are r1 = r2 = 270 nm, D = 20 nm, and P = 1300
nm, respectively. We also calculated the transmission spectra by
changing one structural parameter while keeping the other structural
parameters constant. As shown in Fig. 7(a), increasing the radii of the
GST nanodisk dimers causes a redshift in the EIT resonance. However,
changing the gap has little effect on the wavelength of the EIT reso­
nance, as depicted in Fig. 7(b). Additionally, a slight redshift in the EIT
resonance occurs with an increase in height, as seen in Fig. 7(c). Finally,
decreasing the period results in a reduction in the linewidth of the EIT
resonance, while the wavelength is almost unchanged, as illustrated in
Fig. 7(d). Therefore, when the structural parameters are modified, the
EIT resonance persists but with different wavelengths and linewidths.
Conclusion
In summary, we have demonstrated the ability to achieve switchable
high-Q EIT resonances using a periodic array of GST nanodisk dimers.
The GST nanodisk dimers support a high-Q TD mode and a MD-BIC
mode. The MD-BIC mode can be converted into a high-Q MD reso­
nance by adjusting geometric parameter. Moreover, high-Q EIT reso­
nances can be achieved when GST is in the amorphous phase, as a result
of the coupling between a low-Q x-direction MD mode and a high-Q TD
mode, or between a low-Q x-direction MD mode and a high-Q z-direc­
tion MD mode. These high-Q EIT resonances are switched off when GST
is transformed into the crystalline phase. Additionally, the high-Q EIT
resonance is accompanied by an ultrahigh group refractive index, which
can be tuned via the phase transition of GST. While the switchable high-
Q EIT resonances have been demonstrated through simulations, it is
feasible to fabricate the GST nanodisk dimers experimentally [40,43],
and trigger the phase transition of GST using methods such as heat,
electrical currents, or optical pulses [30,31]. The potential applications
of the switchable high-Q EIT resonance include slow-light devices, op­
tical modulators, and biosensors.
CRediT authorship contribution statement
Zhe-Yu Liu: Writing – original draft, Software, Methodology, Formal
analysis, Data curation, Conceptualization. Bin Fang: Validation,
Investigation, Formal analysis. Zhong-Wei Jin: Investigation, Formal
analysis. Dong-Qin Zhang: Writing – review & editing, Validation,
Supervision, Resources. Gui-Ming Pan: Validation. Zhi-Wei Jiao:
Visualization. Chang-Yu Shen: Formal analysis. Zhi Hong: Validation,
Investigation. Fang-Zhou Shu: Writing – review & editing, Validation,
Investigation, Conceptualization.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence
the work reported in this paper.
Data availability
Data will be made available on request.
Acknowledgment
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation
8
Results in Physics 54 (2023) 107102
of China (12004361,12004362,12204446,12274386,11874332), the
Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province (LY22A040006,
LQ21A040012, LY21F050006).
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