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International Conference on Micro- and Nano-Electronics (ICMNE)

Fast quantum randomness generation from vacuum fluctuation induced phase diffusion between pulses of laser diode

Р. П. Ермаков, V. L. Kurochkin, Violetta Sharoglazova, Anton Losev, Vladimir Zavodilenko, Yuriy V. Kurochkin

Published Mar 15, 2019• 0 citations
Publisher

Abstract

In this paper, the prototype of quantum random number generator (QRNG) which is shown by extracting ran- domness from vacuum fluctuation of the electromagnetic field inside the laser cavity. A distributed feedback (DFB) laser diode (LD) is directly modulated to produce short optical pulses. The laser is operated far above and far below the threshold resulting in field of pulse which has a true random phase. The efficient conversion of vacuum fluctuations to random sequence of power of optical pulses is made by homemade Michelson interferom- eter. A proposed device has proven to have far more superior interferometric visibility coupled with high power making it also a cost-effective PIN diode detector as compared to QRNGs based on phase fluctuation modu- lated by constant current. As a result a proposed device is highly integrated using only commercially available components. Due to appropriate realization of our device, we have a good quality of raw random bits that have passed all tests without postprocessing. So the postprocessing doesn't significantly decrease the speed of output random bits. In fact, we have successfully demonstrated a prototype of high speed QRNG at a generation rate of over 1 Gbps.

DOI
10.1117/12.2522431

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In this paper, the prototype of quantum random number generator (QRNG) which is shown by extracting ran- domness from vacuum fluctuation of the electromagnetic field inside the laser cavity. A distributed feedback (DFB) laser diode (LD) is directly modulated to produce short optical pulses. The laser is operated far above and far below the threshold resulting in field of pulse which has a true random phase. The efficient conversion of vacuum fluctuations to random sequence of power of optical pulses is made by homemade Michelson interferom- eter. A proposed device has proven to have far more superior interferometric visibility coupled with high power making it also a cost-effective PIN diode detector as compared to QRNGs based on phase fluctuation modu- lated by constant current. As a result a proposed device is highly integrated using only commercially available components. Due to appropriate realization of our device, we have a good quality of raw random bits that have passed all tests without postprocessing. So the postprocessing doesn't significantly decrease the speed of output random bits. In fact, we have successfully demonstrated a prototype of high speed QRNG at a generation rate of over 1 Gbps.
We demonstrate a high bit-rate quantum random number generator by interferometric detection of phase diffusion in a gain-switched DFB laser diode. Gain switching at few-GHz frequencies produces a train of bright pulses with nearly equal amplitudes and random phases. An unbalanced Mach-Zehnder interferometer is used to interfere subsequent pulses and thereby generate strong random-amplitude pulses, which are detected and digitized to produce a high-rate random bit string. Using established models of semiconductor laser field dynamics, we predict a regime of high visibility interference and nearly complete vacuum-fluctuation-induced phase diffusion between pulses. These are confirmed by measurement of pulse power statistics at the output of the interferometer. Using a 5.825 GHz excitation rate and 14-bit digitization, we observe 43 Gbps quantum randomness generation.
[ANGLÈS] Random numbers are extensively used in a broad range of applications. Nevertheless, there are two main markets from a commercial point of view: (i) secure communications and (ii) stochastic simulation. According to the generation rate and quality of the random numbers required, different approaches have been used so far, most of them based on pseudo-random number generation. However, these type of generators have already started showing weakness both in the quality and the generation rate. Thus, novel techniques based on physical processes are being studied and used nowadays. In this work an ultra-fast random number generator based on quantum vacuum fluctuations is demonstrated. Not only assuring the intrinsic randomness of quantum mechanics, but also being compliant with the speed needs of current applications. Employing a DFB laser diode in gain-switched mode and interferometry, the random phase generated in spontaneous emission events is translated into random amplitudes easily measurable using off-the-shelf components, i.e. measuring a quantum phenomena in a macroscopic way. Thus, using established models of semiconductor lasers, we predict a regime of high-visibility interference and nearly complete vacuum-fluctuation-induced phase diffusion between pulses. These predictions are confirmed by measurement of pulse amplitude statistics at the exit of the interferometer.
Aiming at the problem that the current Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) cannot simultaneously meet the high-speed and real-time requirements of random number generation in quantum key distribution communication, this paper improves the QRNG scheme based on pulse laser as light source to extract phase information. The random phase information is converted into light intensity information by single-mode Michelson interferometer, and then converted into electrical signal by high-speed Photo Detector (PD). Finally, the real-time quantum random number generation rate of 1.1 Gbit/s is obtained by using 16 bit Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) with 250 MHz sampling rate and 50% extraction rate. A high-speed, real-time and integrated QRNG equipment is realized. At the same time, the advantages of this scheme and continuous laser as light source in principle and system design are compared. QRNG based on pulsed laser light source has passed various tests of China Academy of Information and Communications. The random number output by the product in the process of stable operation can pass 15 test standards specified in the State Cryptography Administration randomness test document GB/T 32915-2016 and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) test standards.
Random numbers are essential for applications ranging from secure communications to numerical simulation and quantitative finance. Algorithms can rapidly produce pseudo-random outcomes, series of numbers that mimic most properties of true random numbers while quantum random number generators (QRNGs) exploit intrinsic quantum randomness to produce true random numbers. Single-photon QRNGs are conceptually simple but produce few random bits per detection. In contrast, vacuum fluctuations are a vast resource for QRNGs: they are broad-band and thus can encode many random bits per second. Direct recording of vacuum fluctuations is possible, but requires shot-noise-limited detectors, at the cost of bandwidth. We demonstrate efficient conversion of vacuum fluctuations to true random bits using optical amplification of vacuum and interferometry. Using commercially-available optical components we demonstrate a QRNG at a bit rate of 1.11 Gbps. The proposed scheme has the potential to be extended to 10 Gbps and even up to 100 Gbps by taking advantage of high speed modulation sources and detectors for optical fiber telecommunication devices.
[ANGLÈS] Random numbers are extensively used in a broad range of applications. Nevertheless, there are two main markets from a commercial point of view: (i) secure communications and (ii) stochastic simulation. According to the generation rate and quality of the random numbers required, different approaches have been used so far, most of them based on pseudo-random number generation. However, these type of generators have already started showing weakness both in the quality and the generation rate. Thus, novel techniques based on physical processes are being studied and used nowadays. In this work an ultra-fast random number generator based on quantum vacuum fluctuations is demonstrated. Not only assuring the intrinsic randomness of quantum mechanics, but also being compliant with the speed needs of current applications. Employing a DFB laser diode in gain-switched mode and interferometry, the random phase generated in spontaneous emission events is translated into random amplitudes easily measurable using off-the-shelf components, i.e. measuring a quantum phenomena in a macroscopic way. Thus, using established models of semiconductor lasers, we predict a regime of high-visibility interference and nearly complete vacuum-fluctuation-induced phase diffusion between pulses. These predictions are confirmed by measurement of pulse amplitude statistics at the exit of the interferometer.
Random number generation is an enabling technology for fields as varied as Monte Carlo simulations and quantum information science. An important application is a secure quantum key distribution (QKD) system; here, we propose and demonstrate an approach to random number generation that satisfies the specific requirements for QKD. In our scheme, vacuum fluctuations of the electromagnetic-field inside a laser cavity are sampled in a discrete manner in time and amplified by injecting current pulses into the laser. Random numbers can be obtained by interfering the laser pulses with another independent laser operating at the same frequency. Using only off-the-shelf opto-electronics and fibre-optics components at 1.5 μμμm wavelength, we experimentally demonstrate the generation of high-quality random bits at a rate of up to 1.5 GHz. Our results show the potential of the new scheme for practical information processing applications.