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Chinese Physics Letters

Quantum Random Number Generation Based on Quantum Phase Noise

Guang‐Zhao Tang, Mu-Sheng Jiang, Shi‐Hai Sun, Xiang-Chun Ma, Chunyan Li, Lin-Mei Liang

Published Nov 1, 2013• 11 citations
Publisher

Abstract

We experimentally demonstrate a kind of high-quantum correlated, practical quantum random generation based on the quantum phase noise of a laser, which uniformly distributes in the range of (−π, π] by driving the laser with a stream of narrow electrical pulses. We propose a working mode to further suppress the impact of phase drift after we use the passive measures (thermal and mechanical isolation) to slow it down. Moreover, a new method which ensures random numbers to be true representations of quantum characteristics is presented to quantify the quantum randomness. This scheme has an inherent advantage for multiplex generation.

DOI
10.1088/0256-307x/30/11/114207

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We experimentally demonstrate a kind of high-quantum correlated, practical quantum random generation based on the quantum phase noise of a laser, which uniformly distributes in the range of (−π, π] by driving the laser with a stream of narrow electrical pulses. We propose a working mode to further suppress the impact of phase drift after we use the passive measures (thermal and mechanical isolation) to slow it down. Moreover, a new method which ensures random numbers to be true representations of quantum characteristics is presented to quantify the quantum randomness. This scheme has an inherent advantage for multiplex generation.
In 2010 Qi et al. [Opt. Lett.35(3), 312 (2010)] demonstrated a random number generator based on the drift of the phase of a laser due to spontaneous emission, The out-of-the-lab implementation of this scheme presents two main drawbacks: it requires a long and highly unbalanced interferometer to generate a random phase with uniform probability distribution, or alternatively, a shorter and slightly unbalanced interferometer that notwithstanding requires active stabilization and does not generate a uniform probability distribution without randomness extraction. Here we demonstrate that making use of the random nature of the phase difference between two independent laser sources and two coherent detectors we can overcome these limitations. The two main advantages of the system demonstrated are: i) it generates a probability distribution of quantum origin which is intrinsically uniform and thus in principle needs no randomness extraction for obtaining a uniform distribution, and ii) the phase is measured with telecom equipment routinely used for high capacity coherent optical communications. The speed of random bit generation is determined by the photodetector bandwidth and the linewidth of the lasers. As a by-product of our method, we have obtained images of how phase noise develops with time in a laser. This provides a highly visual alternative way of measuring the coherence time of a laser.
Quantum random number generators are widely used in many applications, ranging from sampling and simulation, fundamental science to cryptography, such as a quantum key distribution system. Among all the previous works, quantum noise from phase fluctuation of laser diodes is one of the most commonly used random source in the quantum random number generation, and many practical schemes based on phase noise with compact systems have been proposed so far. Here, we proposed a new structure of phase noise scheme, utilizing the phase fluctuation from two laser diodes with a slight difference of center wavelength. By analyzing the frequency components and adopting an appropriate band-pass filter, we prove that our scheme extracts quantum noise and filtered other classical noises substantially. Results of a randomness test shows that the extracted random sequences are of good performance. Due to lack of delay-line and the low requirement on other devices in this system, our scheme is promising in future scenarios for miniaturized quantum random number generation systems.
We demonstrate a quantum random number generator based on the random nature of the phase difference between two independent laser sources. The speed of random bit generation is determined by the photodetector bandwidth and the linewidth of the lasers used. The system implemented is robust and generates a probability distribution of quantum origin which is intrinsically uniform and thus in principle needs no randomness extraction. The phase is measured with telecom equipment routinely used for high capacity coherent optical communications, which allows to keep track of the phase drift of the lasers and is readily available in the telecommunication industry.
A quantum random-number generator (QRNG) can produce true randomness by utilizing the inherent probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics. Recently, the spontaneous-emission quantum phase noise of the laser has been widely deployed for quantum random-number generation, due to its high rate, its low cost, and the feasibility of chip-scale integration. Here, we perform a comprehensive experimental study of a phase-noise-based QRNG with two independent lasers, each of which operates in either continuous-wave (CW) or pulsed mode. We implement the QRNG by operating the two lasers in three configurations, namely, CW + CW, CW + pulsed, and pulsed + pulsed, and demonstrate their trade-offs, strengths, and weaknesses.
Quantum random number generator (QRNG) utilizes the intrinsic randomness of quantum systems to generate completely unpredictable and genuine random numbers, finding wide applications across many fields. QRNGs relying on the phase noise of a laser have attracted considerable attention due to their straightforward system architecture and high random number generation rates. However, traditional phase noise QRNGs suffer from a 50% loss of quantum entropy during the randomness extraction process. In this paper, we propose a phase-reconstruction quantum random number generation scheme, in which the phase noise of a laser is reconstructed by simultaneously measuring the orthogonal quadratures of the light field using balanced detectors. This enables direct discretization of uniform phase noise, and the min-entropy can achieve a value of 1. Furthermore, our approach exhibits inherent robustness against the classical phase fluctuations of the unbalanced interferometer, eliminating the need for active compensation. Finally, we conducted experimental validation using commercial optical hybrid and balanced detectors, achieving a random number generation rate of 1.96 Gbps at a sampling rate of 200 MSa/s.
Gain-switched lasers are in demand in numerous quantum applications, particularly in systems of quantum key distribution and in various optical quantum random number generators. The reason for this popularity is natural phase randomization between gain-switched laser pulses. The idea of such randomization has become so familiar that most authors use it without regard to the features of the laser operation mode they use. However, at high repetition rates of laser pulses or when pulses are generated at a bias current close to the threshold, the phase randomization condition may be violated. This paper describes theoretical and experimental methods for estimating the degree of phase randomization in a gain-switched laser. We consider in detail different situations of laser pulse interference and show that the interference signal remains quantum in nature even in the presence of classical phase drift in the interferometer provided that the phase diffusion in a laser is efficient enough. Moreover, we formulate the relationship between the previously introduced quantum reduction factor and the leftover hash lemma. Using this relationship, we develop a method to estimate the quantum noise contribution to the interference signal in the presence of phase correlations. Finally, we introduce a simple experimental method based on the analysis of statistical interference fringes, providing more detailed information about the probabilistic properties of laser pulse interference.