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arXiv:1801.04139 · Nature Communications

Source-device-independent heterodyne-based quantum random number generator at 17 Gbps

Marco Avesani, Davide G. Marangon, Giuseppe Vallone, Paolo Villoresi

Published Dec 12, 2018• 153 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Random numbers are commonly used in many different fields, ranging from simulations in fundamental science to security applications. In some critical cases, as Bell's tests and cryptography, the random numbers are required to be both private and to be provided at an ultra-fast rate. However, practical generators are usually considered trusted, but their security can be compromised in case of imperfections or malicious external actions. In this work we introduce an efficient protocol which guarantees security and speed in the generation. We propose a source-device-independent protocol based on generic Positive Operator Valued Measurements and then we specialize the result to heterodyne measurements. Furthermore, we experimentally implemented the protocol, reaching a secure generation rate of 17.42 Gbit/s, without the need of an initial source of randomness. The security of the protocol has been proven for general attacks in the finite key scenario.

DOI
10.1038/s41467-018-07585-0

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Random numbers are commonly used in many different fields, ranging from simulations in fundamental science to security applications. In some critical cases, as Bell's tests and cryptography, the random numbers are required to be both private and to be provided at an ultra-fast rate. However, practical generators are usually considered trusted, but their security can be compromised in case of imperfections or malicious external actions. In this work we introduce an efficient protocol which guarantees security and speed in the generation. We propose a source-device-independent protocol based on generic Positive Operator Valued Measurements and then we specialize the result to heterodyne measurements. Furthermore, we experimentally implemented the protocol, reaching a secure generation rate of 17.42 Gbit/s, without the need of an initial source of randomness. The security of the protocol has been proven for general attacks in the finite key scenario.
Randomness is a fundamental feature of quantum mechanics, which is an invaluable resource for both classical and quantum technologies. Practical quantum random-number generators (QRNGs) usually need to trust their devices, but their security can be jeopardized in the case of imperfections or malicious external actions. In this work, we present a robust implementation of a semi-device-independent QRNG that guarantees both security and fast generation rates. The system works in a prepare-and-measure scenario, where measurement and source are uncharacterized, but a bound on the energy of the prepared states is assumed. Our implementation exploits heterodyne detection, which offers increased generation rate and improved long-term stability compared to alternative measurement strategies. In particular, due to the tomographic properties of heterodyne measurement, we can compensate for fast phase fluctuations via postprocessing, avoiding complex active phase-stabilization systems. As a result, our scheme combines high security and speed with a simple setup featuring only commercial-off-the-shelf components, making it an attractive solution in many practical scenarios.
Quantum random number generators (QRNGs) produce true random numbers based on the inherent randomness of quantum theory, rendering them a foundational segment of quantum cryptography. Distinguished from trusted-device QRNGs whose security depends on characterized devices, semi-device-independent (semi-DI) QRNGs permit partial devices to be defective or even maliciously manipulated, which achieves a good trade-off between generation rate and security. In this paper, we propose a semi-DI QRNG that resists general attacks while accounting for finite-size effects. The protocol requires no rigorous characterization of the source and measurement devices other than limiting the energy of the emitted states, significantly reducing the demands on practical QRNG systems. Leveraging the tight Kato inequality for correlated variables, we show that our protocol generates more randomness than it consumes. Furthermore, we demonstrate the scheme on a continuous-variable system with ternary inputs of states. Heterodyne detection is employed to enable phase compensation through data postprocessing, alleviating the stringent requirement on system stability. The system operates at 100 MHz, achieving a net random number generation rate of 1.165 Mbps at 5.3x10^9 rounds. Our work offers a promising approach to achieve both the robust security and high generation rate with a simple experimental setup.
We present a high-speed continuous-variable quantum random number generator (QRNG) based on heterodyne detection of vacuum fluctuations. The scheme follows a source-device-independent (SDI) security model in which the entropy originates from quantum measurement uncertainty and no model of the source is required; security depends only on the trusted measurement device and the calibrated discretization, and thus remains valid even under adversarial state preparation. The optical field is split by a 90∘^\circ∘ optical hybrid and measured by two balanced photodiodes to obtain both quadratures of the vacuum state simultaneously. The analog outputs are digitized using a dual-channel 12-bit analog-to-digital converter operating at a sampling rate of 3.2 GS/s per channel, and processed in real time by an FPGA implementing Toeplitz hashing for randomness extraction. The quantum-to-classical noise ratio was verified through calibrated power spectral density measurements and cross-checked in the time domain, confirming vacuum-noise dominance within the 1.6 GHz detection bandwidth. After extraction, the system achieves a sustained generation rate of Rnet=33.92 Gbit/sR_{\rm net}= 33.92~\mathrm{Gbit/s}Rnet​=33.92 Gbit/s of uniformly distributed random bits, which pass all NIST and Dieharder statistical tests. The demonstrated platform provides a compact, FPGA-based realization of a practical heterodyne continuous-variable source-independent QRNG suitable for high-rate quantum communication and secure key distribution systems.
Abstract We present a high-speed continuous-variable quantum random number generator (QRNG) based on heterodyne detection of vacuum fluctuations. The scheme follows a source-device-independent security model in which the entropy originates from quantum measurement uncertainty and no model of the source is required; security depends only on the trusted measurement device and the calibrated discretization, and thus remains valid even under adversarial state preparation. The optical field is split by a 90 ∘ optical hybrid and measured by two balanced photodiodes to obtain both quadratures of the vacuum state simultaneously. The analog outputs are digitized using a dual-channel 12-bit analog-to-digital converter operating at a sampling rate of 3.2 GS s −1 per channel, and processed in real time by an field-programmable gate array (FPGA) implementing Toeplitz hashing for randomness extraction. The quantum-to-classical noise ratio was verified through calibrated power spectral density measurements and cross-checked in the time domain, confirming vacuum-noise dominance within the 1.6 GHz detection bandwidth. After extraction, the system achieves a sustained generation rate of R net = 33.92 Gbit s − 1 of uniformly distributed random bits, which pass all NIST and Dieharder statistical tests. The demonstrated platform provides a compact, FPGA-based realization of a practical heterodyne continuous-variable source-independent QRNG suitable for high-rate quantum communication and secure key distribution systems.
Continuous-variable source-independent quantum random number generators offer the highest generation rates among semi-device-independent protocols. In reality, the protocol design is limited due to permissible measurement configurations. In this work, we propose a rigorous security proof framework that accommodates general, infinite-dimensional positive-operator-valued measures. Building upon the numerical security proof framework, we evaluate the randomness lower bound by maximizing the eavesdropper's guessing probability. Specifically, we transform the inherently infinite-dimensional semidefinite program in Fock space into a tractable finite-dimensional one, rigorously proving that latter provides a strict upper bound to the guessing probability of the original infinite-dimensional problem. Our framework showcases its capability by certifying secure randomness using unbalanced homodyne detection with only a single quadrature measurement, thereby bypassing the traditional requirement of measuring two conjugate quadratures such as XXX and PPP. We experimentally validate our protocol on an optical platform using vacuum and weak coherent states, achieving a maximum secure randomness extraction of 1.11 bits per sample and an ultra-high generation rate of 1.776 Gbps. This work provides a flexible design for practical, high-speed quantum random number generators.