Non-linear photonic crystals as a source of entangled photons
Michiel J. A. de Dood, William T. M. Irvine, Dirk Bouwmeester
Abstract
Non-linear photonic crystals can be used to provide phase-matching for frequency conversion in optically isotropic materials. The phase-matching mechanism proposed here is a combination of form birefringence and phase velocity dispersion in a periodic structure. Since the phase-matching relies on the geometry of the photonic crystal, it becomes possible to use highly non-linear materials. This is illustrated considering a one-dimensional periodic Al
0.4
Ga
0.6
As / air structure for the generation of 1.5
μ
m light. We show that phase-matching conditions used in schemes to create entangled photon pairs can be achieved in photonic crystals.