Topological Rainbow Trapping with Expanded Bandwidth in Valley Photonic Crystals

We introduce a novel approach to achieve broadband rainbow trapping in a 2D photonic crystal (PC) platform. By exploiting the concept of valley PCs, we engineer a structure that supports robust topological edge states. A carefully designed rotational angle gradient along the edge state path induces frequency-dependent light localization, forming a topological rainbow with a significantly expanded bandwidth. This phenomenon of topological rainbow trapping is attributed to the interplay between valley-dependent topological edge states and the engineered rotational angle gradient. To further enhance light localization and broaden the trapping spectrum, we incorporate a graded radius profile in the bottom row of dielectric columns. Through a combination of rotational angle modulation and radius grading, we successfully realize broadband rainbow trapping with enhanced light localization. Our findings reveal a broad trapping bandwidth spanning from 0.8314c/a to 0.9205c/a, showcasing the potential of this approach for applications in optical frequency filtering, sensing, and information processing.