Nonlinear Photonic Crystals as a Source of Entangled Photons

Nonlinear 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 nonlinear materials. This is illustrated considering a one-dimensional periodic Al_0.4Ga_0.6As/air structure for the generation of 1.5  μm light. We show that phase-matching conditions used in schemes to create entangled photon pairs can be achieved in photonic crystals.