Topological bound states in the continuum in a non-Hermitian photonic system.

Topological insulators and bound states in the continuum represent two fascinating topics in the optical and photonic domain. The exploration of their interconnection and potential applications has emerged as a current research focus. Here, we investigated non-Hermitian photonics based on a parallel cascaded-resonator system, where both direct and indirect coupling between adjacent resonators can be independently manipulated. We observed the emergence of topological Fabry-Pérot bound states in the continuum in this non-Hermitian system, and theoretically validated its robustness. We also observed topological phase transitions and exceptional points in the same system. By elucidating the relationship between topological insulators and bound states in the continuum, this work will enable various applications that harness the advantages of bound states in the continuum, exceptional points, and topology. These applications may include optical delay and storage, highly robust optical devices, high-sensitivity sensing, and chiral mode switching.