Advances in light generation have historically unlocked major technological breakthroughs, from radar to lasers and fiber-optic communications. Lange is working on the next leap forward: a deterministic single-photon source, or “photon gun,” that can generate quantum light on demand.

His team is developing this next-generation light source capable of emitting one photon at a time with precise control. While the technology has many applications, Lange sees the largest near-term opportunity in quantum computing. Quantum computers are advancing rapidly, but connecting multiple together remains challenging. The single-photon emitter could help tether them together to create scalable quantum supercomputers, accelerating the development of practical quantum computing.