Quantum entropy source on an InP photonic integrated circuit for random number generation

Abstract

Random number generators are essential to ensure performance in information technologies, including cryptography, stochastic simulations and massive data processing. The quality of random numbers ultimately determines the security and privacy that can be achieved, while the speed at which they can be generated poses limits to the utilisation of the available resources. In this work we propose and demonstrate a quantum entropy source for random number generation on an indium phosphide photonic integrated circuit made possible by a new design using two-laser interference and heterodyne detection. The resulting device offers high-speed operation with unprecedented security guarantees and reduced form factor. It is also compatible with complementary metal-oxide semiconductor technology, opening the path to its integration in computation and communication electronic cards, which is particularly relevant for the intensive migration of information processing and storage tasks from local premises to cloud data centres.http://dx

Experimental study of a quantum random-number generator based on two independent lasers

“…This might be a practical challenge for ultrahigh speed implementations when the repetition rate of the pulsed laser reaches tens of GHz. Therefore, we conclude that case II, cw+pulse, may be the best choice for high-speed implementation of QRNG based on quantum phase noise (as demonstrated recently in [23,24]), while case I is suitable for simple and lowcost applications that may require slow rate QRNG only. Notice that high-speed implementation of case I is still possible by changing the scheme to a broadband source and a homodyne detection [25].…”

“…In the second case, LD1 operates in CW mode, while LD2 operates in pulsed mode. This scheme has been recently demonstrated in [23,24]. In our experiment, LD2's repetition rate is 500 MHz, and its 3-dB width is 433.2 ps with the standard deviation 27.0 ps.…”

“…Very recently, an important scheme which relies upon the interference between two independent lasers -a continuous-wave (CW) laser and a pulsed laser -has been proposed and demonstrated to solve these drawbacks [23][24][25], although the quantum randomness and the classical noise (e.g., detector's electrical noise) were not rigorously quantified. These recent works [23][24][25] demonstrate the large potential of practical QRNGs with independent lasers as the quantum entropy source. Besides QRNG, the interference between two independent lasers is also valuable to the field of quantum cryptography [26,27].…”

Ultrafast Fully Photonic Random Bit Generator

“…Moreover, if it is wished to apply our optical random bits in electronics, the only requirement is to effect a conversion using a broadband photodetector. As far as we know, commercially available photodetectors have reached a response bandwidth of order 100 GHz [46].…”

True randomness from an incoherent source

“…In practice, to conduct randomness extraction effectively, the quantum noise should be dominant over the technical noises. Among various QRNG implementations, schemes based on photonic technology have drawn a lot of attention for high rates, low cost and the potential of chip-size integration [15,16]. Both single photon detectors and optical homodyne detectors have been employed in photonic QRNGs.…”