Critical coupling vortex with grating-induced high Q-factor optical Tamm states

Abstract

We investigate optical Tamm states supported by a dielectric grating placed on top of a distributed Bragg reflector. It is found that under certain conditions the Tamm state may become a bound state in the continuum. The bound state, in its turn, induces the effect of critical coupling with the reflectance amplitude reaching an exact zero. We demonstrate that the critical coupling point is located in the core of a vortex of the reflection amplitude gradient in the space of the wavelength and angle of incidence. The emergence of the vortex is explained by the coupled mode theory.