Photonic flat bands: physical concepts, mechanisms, applications, and perspectives

Peiwen Ren; Yuanzhuang Bu; Guangyuan Li; Zhilin Yang

doi:10.1088/1674-4926/26020036

J. Semicond. > Just Accepted

RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Photonic flat bands: physical concepts, mechanisms, applications, and perspectives

Peiwen Ren^{1, 2, 3, §}, Yuanzhuang Bu^{2, §}, Guangyuan Li³ and Zhilin Yang^1,

+ Author Affiliations

1. College of Physical Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
2. MIIT Key Laboratory of Complex-field Intelligent Exploration, School of Optics and Photonics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
3. School of Medical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Zhuhai 519088, China
^§Peiwen Ren and Yuanzhuang Bu contributed equally to this work and should be considered as co-first authors.

Author Bio:

Peiwen Ren received her Ph.D. degree in Physics from Xiamen University in 2024. Now, she is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Beijing Institute of Technology. Her research interests focus on nanophotonics and nonlinear optics.

Yuanzhuang Bu received his Ph.D. degree from National University of Defense Technology in 2026. Now, he is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Beijing Institute of Technology. His research interests focus on fiber laser technology, nanolasers, and quantum light sources.

Zhilin Yang received his Ph.D. degree in Physical Chemistry from Xiamen University in 2006. Now, he is a full professor in the Department of Physics at Xiamen University. His research interests focus on nanophotonics and nano-spectroscopy.

Corresponding author: Zhilin Yang, zlyang@xmu.edu.cn

DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020036CSTR: 32376.14.1674-4926.26020036

References

[1]	Cao Y, Fatemi V, Demir A, et al. Correlated insulator behaviour at half-filling in magic-angle graphene superlattices. Nature, 2018, 556(7699): 80 doi: 10.1038/nature26154
[2]	Yang Y, Roques-Carmes C, Kooi S E, et al. Photonic flatband resonances for free-electron radiation. Nature, 2023, 613(7942): 42 doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-05387-5
[3]	Fu Q D, Wang P, Huang C M, et al. Optical soliton formation controlled by angle twisting in photonic moiré lattices. Nat Photonics, 2020, 14(11): 663 doi: 10.1038/s41566-020-0679-9
[4]	Vicencio R A, Cantillano C, Morales-Inostroza L, et al. Observation of localized states in lieb photonic lattices. Phys Rev Lett, 2015, 114(24): 245503 doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.245503
[5]	Luan H Y, Ouyang Y H, Zhao Z W, et al. Reconfigurable moiré nanolaser arrays with phase synchronization. Nature, 2023, 624(7991): 282 doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06789-9
[6]	Cui J Y, Han S, Zhu B F, et al. Ultracompact multibound-state-assisted flat-band lasers. Nat Photonics, 2025, 19(6): 643 doi: 10.1038/s41566-025-01665-6
[7]	Ren P W, Zheng J R, Huang Z, et al. Far-field excitation of a photonic flat band via a tailored anapole mode. Phys Rev Lett, 2025, 135(8): 083803 doi: 10.1103/bzpw-7h2x
[8]	Sun K L, Wang G D, Li W Y, et al. Full polarization and high coherence control of thermal emissions via saddle-band dispersion engineering. Nat Commun, 2025, 16: 8393 doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-63334-0
[9]	Mukherjee S, Spracklen A, Choudhury D, et al. Observation of a localized flat-band state in a photonic lieb lattice. Phys Rev Lett, 2015, 114(24): 245504 doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.245504
[10]	Mao X R, Shao Z K, Luan H Y, et al. Magic-angle lasers in nanostructured moiré superlattice. Nat Nanotechnol, 2021, 16(10): 1099 doi: 10.1038/s41565-021-00956-7
[11]	Myoung N, Park H C, Ramachandran A, et al. Flat-band localization and self-collimation of light in photonic crystals. Sci Rep, 2019, 9: 2862 doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-39471-0
[12]	Nakata Y, Okada T, Nakanishi T, et al. Observation of flat band for terahertz spoof plasmons in a metallic kagomé lattice. Phys Rev B, 2012, 85(20): 205128 doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.85.205128
[13]	Ardizzone V, Riminucci F, Zanotti S, et al. Polariton Bose–Einstein condensate from a bound state in the continuum. Nature, 2022, 605(7910): 447 doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-04583-7
[14]	Qin H Y, Zhang W X, Chen S H, et al. Quasi-bound flat bands in the continuum. Nat Commun, 2025, 16: 10835 doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-65860-3
[15]	Qi X, Wu J J, Wu F, et al. Steerable merging bound states in the continuum on a quasi-flatband of photonic crystal slabs without breaking symmetry. Photon Res, 2023, 11(7): 1262 doi: 10.1364/PRJ.487665
[16]	Sun K L, Wang K R, Wang W, et al. High-Q photonic flat-band resonances for enhancing third-harmonic generation in all-dielectric metasurfaces. Newton, 2025, 1(4): 100057 doi: 10.1016/j.newton.2025.100057
[17]	Hernández-Sarria J J, Oliveira O N, Mejía-Salazar J R. Toward lossless infrared optical trapping of small nanoparticles using nonradiative anapole modes. Phys Rev Lett, 2021, 127(18): 186803 doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.186803
[18]	Sun K L, Yang B X, Cai Y J, et al. Circularly polarized thermal emission driven by chiral flatbands in monoclinic metasurfaces. Sci Adv, 2025, 11(31): eadw0986 doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adw0986

Fig. 1. (Color online) (a) Schematic illustration of a photonic flat bands in momentum space, Photonic flat band realized in (b) Lieb lattice^[4], (c) moiré superlattice^[5], (d) BICs system^[6], (e) anapole photonic crystal^[7], and (f) waveguide arrays^[8].

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[1]	Cao Y, Fatemi V, Demir A, et al. Correlated insulator behaviour at half-filling in magic-angle graphene superlattices. Nature, 2018, 556(7699): 80 doi: 10.1038/nature26154
[2]	Yang Y, Roques-Carmes C, Kooi S E, et al. Photonic flatband resonances for free-electron radiation. Nature, 2023, 613(7942): 42 doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-05387-5
[3]	Fu Q D, Wang P, Huang C M, et al. Optical soliton formation controlled by angle twisting in photonic moiré lattices. Nat Photonics, 2020, 14(11): 663 doi: 10.1038/s41566-020-0679-9
[4]	Vicencio R A, Cantillano C, Morales-Inostroza L, et al. Observation of localized states in lieb photonic lattices. Phys Rev Lett, 2015, 114(24): 245503 doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.245503
[5]	Luan H Y, Ouyang Y H, Zhao Z W, et al. Reconfigurable moiré nanolaser arrays with phase synchronization. Nature, 2023, 624(7991): 282 doi: 10.1038/s41586-023-06789-9
[6]	Cui J Y, Han S, Zhu B F, et al. Ultracompact multibound-state-assisted flat-band lasers. Nat Photonics, 2025, 19(6): 643 doi: 10.1038/s41566-025-01665-6
[7]	Ren P W, Zheng J R, Huang Z, et al. Far-field excitation of a photonic flat band via a tailored anapole mode. Phys Rev Lett, 2025, 135(8): 083803 doi: 10.1103/bzpw-7h2x
[8]	Sun K L, Wang G D, Li W Y, et al. Full polarization and high coherence control of thermal emissions via saddle-band dispersion engineering. Nat Commun, 2025, 16: 8393 doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-63334-0
[9]	Mukherjee S, Spracklen A, Choudhury D, et al. Observation of a localized flat-band state in a photonic lieb lattice. Phys Rev Lett, 2015, 114(24): 245504 doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.245504
[10]	Mao X R, Shao Z K, Luan H Y, et al. Magic-angle lasers in nanostructured moiré superlattice. Nat Nanotechnol, 2021, 16(10): 1099 doi: 10.1038/s41565-021-00956-7
[11]	Myoung N, Park H C, Ramachandran A, et al. Flat-band localization and self-collimation of light in photonic crystals. Sci Rep, 2019, 9: 2862 doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-39471-0
[12]	Nakata Y, Okada T, Nakanishi T, et al. Observation of flat band for terahertz spoof plasmons in a metallic kagomé lattice. Phys Rev B, 2012, 85(20): 205128 doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.85.205128
[13]	Ardizzone V, Riminucci F, Zanotti S, et al. Polariton Bose–Einstein condensate from a bound state in the continuum. Nature, 2022, 605(7910): 447 doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-04583-7
[14]	Qin H Y, Zhang W X, Chen S H, et al. Quasi-bound flat bands in the continuum. Nat Commun, 2025, 16: 10835 doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-65860-3
[15]	Qi X, Wu J J, Wu F, et al. Steerable merging bound states in the continuum on a quasi-flatband of photonic crystal slabs without breaking symmetry. Photon Res, 2023, 11(7): 1262 doi: 10.1364/PRJ.487665
[16]	Sun K L, Wang K R, Wang W, et al. High-Q photonic flat-band resonances for enhancing third-harmonic generation in all-dielectric metasurfaces. Newton, 2025, 1(4): 100057 doi: 10.1016/j.newton.2025.100057
[17]	Hernández-Sarria J J, Oliveira O N, Mejía-Salazar J R. Toward lossless infrared optical trapping of small nanoparticles using nonradiative anapole modes. Phys Rev Lett, 2021, 127(18): 186803 doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.186803
[18]	Sun K L, Yang B X, Cai Y J, et al. Circularly polarized thermal emission driven by chiral flatbands in monoclinic metasurfaces. Sci Adv, 2025, 11(31): eadw0986 doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adw0986

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Received: 09 February 2026 Revised: 15 May 2026 Online: Accepted Manuscript: 17 June 2026

Article Navigation > Journal of Semiconductors > 2026 > Accepted Manuscript

Peiwen Ren, Yuanzhuang Bu, Guangyuan Li, Zhilin Yang. Photonic flat bands: physical concepts, mechanisms, applications, and perspectives[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2026, In Press. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020036 ****P W Ren, Y Z Bu, G Y Li, and Z L Yang, Photonic flat bands: physical concepts, mechanisms, applications, and perspectives[J]. J. Semicond., 2026, accepted doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020036

Citation:

Peiwen Ren, Yuanzhuang Bu, Guangyuan Li, Zhilin Yang. Photonic flat bands: physical concepts, mechanisms, applications, and perspectives[J]. Journal of Semiconductors, 2026, In Press. doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020036 ****

P W Ren, Y Z Bu, G Y Li, and Z L Yang, Photonic flat bands: physical concepts, mechanisms, applications, and perspectives[J]. J. Semicond., 2026, accepted doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020036

Citation:

P W Ren, Y Z Bu, G Y Li, and Z L Yang, Photonic flat bands: physical concepts, mechanisms, applications, and perspectives[J]. J. Semicond., 2026, accepted doi: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020036

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Photonic flat bands: physical concepts, mechanisms, applications, and perspectives

DOI: 10.1088/1674-4926/26020036

CSTR: 32376.14.1674-4926.26020036

Peiwen Ren^{1, 2, 3, §},
Yuanzhuang Bu^{2, §},
Guangyuan Li³,
Zhilin Yang^1,

1.
College of Physical Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
2.
MIIT Key Laboratory of Complex-field Intelligent Exploration, School of Optics and Photonics, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China
3.
School of Medical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Zhuhai 519088, China

More Information

Peiwen Ren received her Ph.D. degree in Physics from Xiamen University in 2024. Now, she is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Beijing Institute of Technology. Her research interests focus on nanophotonics and nonlinear optics
Yuanzhuang Bu received his Ph.D. degree from National University of Defense Technology in 2026. Now, he is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Beijing Institute of Technology. His research interests focus on fiber laser technology, nanolasers, and quantum light sources
Zhilin Yang received his Ph.D. degree in Physical Chemistry from Xiamen University in 2006. Now, he is a full professor in the Department of Physics at Xiamen University. His research interests focus on nanophotonics and nano-spectroscopy
Corresponding author: zlyang@xmu.edu.cn
Received Date: 2026-02-09
Revised Date: 2026-05-15

Available Online: 2026-06-17

Abstract

^§Peiwen Ren and Yuanzhuang Bu contributed equally to this work and should be considered as co-first authors.

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