Rainbow trapping based on higher-order topological corner modes

Abstract

The recent advancements in higher-order topology have provided unprecedented opportunities in optical device designs and applications. Here, we propose a new, to the best of our knowledge, method to realize rainbow trapping based on higher-order topological corner modes (HOTCMs), which are constructed by two configurations of breathing kagome photonic crystals with distinct topological phases. Interestingly, the HOTCMs localized at corners with different geometric configurations are found to be frequency dispersive and thus initiate the possible application in realizing rainbow trapping. By designing a polygon structure containing several configurations of corners, we demonstrate that the HOTCMs can be excited with the frequency sequence locked to the corner order (clockwise/anticlockwise direction) in the polygon. The reported HOTCMs provide a new mechanism to realize multiple-frequency trapping, which may find potential applications in future integrated photonics.