Abstract
We study high-quality factor (high Q) resonances in periodic and disordered arrays of Mie resonators from the perspectives of both Bloch wave theory and multiple scattering theory. We reveal that, unlike a common belief, the bound states in the continuum (BICs) derived by the Bloch-wave theory do not directly determine the resonance with the highest Q value in large but finite arrays. Higher Q factors appear to be associated with collective resonances formed by nominally guided modes below the light line associated with strong-coupling effect of both electric and magnetic multipoles. Our findings offer valuable insights into accessing the modes with higher Q resonances via bonding modes within finite metastructures. Our results underpin the pivotal significance of magnetic and electric multipoles in the design of resonant metadevices and nonlocal flat-band optics. Moreover, our demonstrations reveal that coupled arrays of high-Q microcavities do not inherently result in a stronger light-matter interaction when compared to coupled low-Q nanoresonators. This result emphasizes the critical importance of multiple light-scattering effects in cavity-based systems.