We propose and demonstrate quantum random number generation based on vacuum fluctuation at a distance from the laser source. 12.5-Gbit/s unpredictable random numbers are distributed without optical transceivers over 4-km fiber installed in campus.
Unpredictable random number (RN) generation is an essential technology for cryptographic applications. Quantum RN generators (QRNGs) have attracted significant attention owing to their generation of RNs utilizing the randomness guaranteed by quantum mechanics. Vacuum fluctuations are a promising entropy source of quantum randomness. These are detected using a homodyne setup with a laser source and a beam splitter. QRNGs based on vacuum fluctuations can generate RNs at a high-speed and in a stable manner. This paper reports a high-speed spatially multiplexed QRNG based on vacuum fluctuations using a single semiconductor laser diode and an integrated optical beam splitter. The QRNG obtained four independent vacuum fluctuations across a wide bandwidth of over 2 GHz. The RNs were extracted in parallel using a field-programmable gate array with analog-to-digital converters. An aggregated real-time RN generation rate of 4×12.5 Gbit/s was achieved. The generated RNs passed a randomness test based on NIST SP800-90B.
Emerging communication and cryptography applications call for reliable fast unpredictable random number generators.Quantum random number generation allows for the creation of truly unpredictable numbers due to the inherent randomness available in quantum mechanics.A popular approach is to use the quantum vacuum state to generate random numbers.While convenient, this approach has been generally limited in speed compared to other schemes.Here, through custom codesign of optoelectronic integrated circuits and side-information reduction by digital filtering, we experimentally demonstrate an ultrafast generation rate of 100 Gbit/s, setting a new record for vacuum-based quantum random number generation by one order of magnitude.Furthermore, our experimental demonstrations are well supported by an upgraded device-dependent framework that is secure against both classical and quantum side information and that also properly considers the nonlinearity in the digitization process.This ultrafast secure random number generator in the chip-scale platform holds promise for next-generation communication and cryptography applications.