Photonic crystal with defect layer forms directed continuum for electromagnetic waves. Defect rods in the vicinity of the defect layer interact with the continuum and give rise to scattering of ingoing waves. We derive quantum-mechanical analog of the non-Hermitian Hamiltonian of the open system with complex eigenvalues, which describes a scattering of electromagnetic waves by the defect rods. In this formalism a bound state in the continuum (BIC) can be easily found by the condition that one of the complex eigenvalues becomes real for variation of dielectric constant of the defect rods. We numerically find BICs with discrete frequencies belong to the continuum for different arrangements of the defects and show that they are localized around the defects.

• Received 23 January 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.78.075105