Randomness is intrinsic to quantum mechanics; the outcome of a measurement on a quantum state is a random variable. This feature has been applied to randomness certification, where one party must decide whether the data they receive is truly random. However, existing demonstrations are not black-box, to avoid falsely certifying deterministic data, assumptions must be made on how the data was generated. Here we demonstrate genuine randomness certification in the black-box setting -- one in which no deterministic adversary, even with unlimited computational power, will succeed in getting their data certified. We use it to provably generate random numbers using only measurements on single particle states and without a random seed.
Randomness is intrinsic to quantum mechanics; the outcome of a measurement on a quantum state is a random variable. This feature has been applied to randomness certification, where one party must decide whether the data they receive is truly random. However, existing demonstrations are not black-box, to avoid falsely certifying deterministic data, assumptions must be made on how the data was generated. Here we demonstrate genuine randomness certification in the black-box setting -- one in which no deterministic adversary, even with unlimited computational power, will succeed in getting their data certified. We use it to provably generate random numbers using only measurements on single particle states and without a random seed.
Quantum theory allows for randomness generation in a device-independent setting, where no detailed description of the experimental device is required. Here we derive a general upper bound on the amount of randomness that can be certified in such a setting. Our bound applies to any black-box scenario, thus covering a wide range of scenarios from partially characterized to completely uncharacterized devices. Specifically, we prove that the number of random bits that can be certified is limited by the number of different input states that enter the measurement device. We show explicitly that our bound is tight in the simplest cases. More generally, our paper indicates that the prospects of certifying a large amount of randomness by using high-dimensional (or even continuous variable) systems will be extremely challenging in practice.
The security of any cryptographic scheme relies on access to random number generators. Device-independently certified random number generators provide maximum security as one can discard the presence of an intruder by considering only the statistics generated by these devices. Any of the known device-independent schemes to certify randomness require an initial feed of randomness into the devices, which can be called seed randomness. In this work, we propose a one-sided device-independent scheme to certify two bits of randomness without the initial seed randomness. For our purpose, we utilise the framework of quantum networks with no inputs and two independent sources shared among two parties with one of them being trusted. Along with it, we also certify the maximally entangled state and the Bell basis measurement with the untrusted party which is then used to certify the randomness generated from the untrusted device.
One of the striking properties of quantum mechanics is the occurrence of the Bell-type non-locality. They are a fundamental feature of the theory that allows two parties that share an entangled quantum system to observe correlations stronger than possible in classical physics. In addition to their theoretical significance, non-local correlations have practical applications, such as device-independent randomness generation, providing private unpredictable numbers even when obtained using devices delivered by an untrusted vendor. Thus, determining the quantity of certifiable randomness that can be produced using a specific set of non-local correlations is of significant interest. First, we present an experimental realization of recent Bell-type operators designed to provide private random numbers that are secure against adversaries with quantum resources. We use semi-definite programming to give lower bounds on the generated randomness in terms of both min-entropy and von Neumann entropy in a device-independent scenario. Our results demonstrate the first experiment that certifies nearly two bits of randomness from binary measurements of two parties [1], [2]. Apart from single-round certification, we provide an analysis of finite-key protocol for quantum randomness expansion using the Entropy Accumulation Theorem. Second, we present an efficient and practical method for certifying quantum randomness using generalized measurements. Indeed, we have derived a method for self-testing the presence of POVMs. We present the certification of more than one bit of min-entropy from a single POVM on one of the qubits of an entangled state using a variant of the elegant Bell inequality. We also obtain more than one bit of randomness in a prepare and measure scenario of a similar structure with a POVM on a single qubit [3]. We provide numerical simulations to demonstrate the effectiveness of our randomness certification and expansion.
Randomness is a phenomena which we are confronted with all the time. Will it rain today? Will the train be on time? What present(s) will I receive at Christmas? But are such phenomena truly random?Good randomness is essential for many applications. For instance, cryptography, the art of hiding information from malicious parties, is only as good as the sources of randomness that underlie it. Quantum mechanics, the theory of microscopic phenomena, can only predict the probability of events. For instance quantum theory can only predict the probability that a radioactive nucleus will decay, not when the nucleus will decay. Does this mean that microscopic phenomena are truly random?By studying systems of two entangled particles, it can be shown both theoretically and experimentally that events at the microscopic scale are truly random, truly unpredictable. Beyond its philosophical implications, this result also has important potential applications. Indeed it implies that one can build random number generators whose output is random and certifies that the device works correctly. That is, if the random number generator malfunctions in some way, if the numbers it produces cease to be random, this will automatically be detected. By extending this idea, one could also build quantum cryptographic systems and quantum computers that certify that they work correctly. We discuss the perspectives for practical implementations.
Quantum speed limits are usually regarded as fundamental restrictions, constraining the amount of computation that can be achieved within some given time and energy. Complementary to this intuition, here we show that these limitations are also of operational value: they enable the secure generation of certified randomness. We consider a prepare-and-measure scenario with some (experimentally determined or promised) upper bound on the energy uncertainty Δ E of the average prepared quantum state, but without any further assumptions on the devices, Hilbert space or Hamiltonian. Given that we can freely choose the time at which to apply the untrusted preparation procedure, we show that this scenario admits the generation of randomness that is secure against adversaries with additional classical information. We show how to determine the amount of certified randomness given the observed correlations, discuss how interactions with the environment are taken into account, and sketch a conceivable experimental implementation. In particular, we show that single-mode coherent states admit this kind of certification of nonzero randomness in some parameter regimes, reinforcing existing demonstrations of nonclassicality in the simple harmonic oscillator. Our results extend earlier efforts to devise semi-device-independent protocols grounded in reasonable physical assumptions, and they contribute to the understanding of time-energy uncertainty relations via their operational consequences.
The generation of certifiable randomness is one of the most promising applications of quantum technologies. Furthermore, the intrinsic non-locality of quantum correlations allow us to certify randomness in a device-independent way, i.e., we do not need to make assumptions about the devices used. Due to the work of Curchod et al. a single entangled two-qubit pure state can be used to produce arbitrary amounts of certified randomness. However, the obtaining of this randomness is experimentally challenging as it requires a large number of measurements, both projective and general. Motivated by these difficulties in the device-independent setting, we instead consider the scenario of one-sided device independence where certain devices are trusted, and others are not; a scenario motivated by asymmetric experimental set-ups such as ion-photon networks. We show how certain aspects of previous works can be adapted to this scenario and provide theoretical bounds on the amount of randomness that can be certified. Furthermore, we give a protocol for unbounded randomness certification in this scenario, and provide numerical results demonstrating the protocol in the ideal case. Finally, we numerically test the possibility of implementing this scheme on near-term quantum technologies, by considering the performance of the protocol on several physical platforms.