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Applied Optics

Optical random number generator based on photoevent locations

Anthony J. Martino, G. Michael Morris

Published Mar 10, 1991• 20 citations
Publisher

Abstract

A 2-D position-sensitive photon-counting detector is used in an optical random number generator in which the locations of detected photoevents provide the random numbers. The spatial distribution of photoevent locations is dictated by imaging a control object onto the detector. An iterative calibration procedure is used to determine the brightness distribution of the control object. Two control objects were examined-film and a video monitor. With both control objects, the performance of the optical random number generator approached that of pseudorandom number generators.

DOI
10.1364/ao.30.000981

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A 2-D position-sensitive photon-counting detector is used in an optical random number generator in which the locations of detected photoevents provide the random numbers. The spatial distribution of photoevent locations is dictated by imaging a control object onto the detector. An iterative calibration procedure is used to determine the brightness distribution of the control object. Two control objects were examined-film and a video monitor. With both control objects, the performance of the optical random number generator approached that of pseudorandom number generators.
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Abstract Random numbers were generated using the probabilistic behavior of a single photon in an optical fiber coupler. An optical fiber coupler (1:1 split ratio) distributes with equal probability a single photon to two optical paths. Therefore, a binary random number sequence was obtained. This random number generation rate was 2.94 Mbit/s. We found from the results of examining the obtained random number sequence that correlation appears between adjacent numbers of random numbers because there is a dead‐time (Td=50ns) in the photon detector. Therefore, we created a new random number sequence by sampling every second random number. This random number sequence did pass statistical tests for independence and uniformity. Consequently, the random number generation rate was 1.47 Mbit/s. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 3, 90(2): 1–8, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/ecjc.20229
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Random number generators include a thermal optical source and detector configured to produce random numbers based on quantum-optical intensity fluctuations. An optical flux is detected, and signals proportional to optical intensity and a delayed optical intensity are combined. The combined signals can be electrical signals or optical signals, and the optical source is selected so as to have low coherence over a predetermined range of delay times. Balanced optical detectors can be used to reduce common mode noise, and in some examples, the optical flux is directed to only one of a pair of balanced detectors.