Quantum technologies such as quantum computers require sources of entangled pairs of photons. To make these photon pairs, researchers commonly use silicon-based devices, where the silicon sits on an insulator. Galan Moody and his colleagues at the University of California, Santa Barbara, wondered if they could switch the silicon with aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs), a material that has recently been demonstrated to be useful for classical photonics applications. The team showed that AlGaAs-made devices can produce entangled photons at a rate 1000 times greater than devices made from other materials [1].
To read more, click here.