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IEEE Photonics Technology Letters

Optimized Quantum Random Number Generator for Single Photon LiDAR Interference Suppression

Yicheng Wang, Xing Yang, Hao Pan, Yunhui Guo, Lei Zuo, Yuwei Chen

Published Mar 31, 2025• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

Single photon light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors have been facing serious issues of light interference and optical attacks. Random modulation of transmitted laser can effectively suppress interference and counter attacks. Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) based on single photon detection of LiDAR has become an important solution for generating true random numbers. The performance of traditional QRNG based on the parity of counting values of photon events (CntOE-QRNG) is poor under low photon event rate. This letter proposes a novel QRNG method based on parity discrimination of photon event interval (IntOE-QRNG). It is proved that the IntOE-QRNG has more advantages under the condition of low photon event rate. Based on the analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of these two methods, this letter finally proposes an optimized QRNG that combines these two methods to adapt to different photon event rate conditions.

DOI
10.1109/lpt.2025.3555856

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Single photon light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors have been facing serious issues of light interference and optical attacks. Random modulation of transmitted laser can effectively suppress interference and counter attacks. Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) based on single photon detection of LiDAR has become an important solution for generating true random numbers. The performance of traditional QRNG based on the parity of counting values of photon events (CntOE-QRNG) is poor under low photon event rate. This letter proposes a novel QRNG method based on parity discrimination of photon event interval (IntOE-QRNG). It is proved that the IntOE-QRNG has more advantages under the condition of low photon event rate. Based on the analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of these two methods, this letter finally proposes an optimized QRNG that combines these two methods to adapt to different photon event rate conditions.
The challenges of optical interference and attacks are crucial in light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors. Random modulation of transmitted laser can effectively suppress interference and counter attacks. The robustness of LiDAR sensors to interference and attacks completely depends on the use of high-quality random numbers. Quantum random number generation (QRNG) provides an excellent solution for true random number generation due to the inherent probability properties of quantum processes. Using the built-in single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) array of LiDAR to obtain random numbers has become an efficient QRNG solution. However, the current QRNG method only utilizes the temporal information of single-photon detection, resulting in low QRNG rates, especially under low light flux conditions. To this end, we propose a method to improve the QRNG rate, which generates quantum random numbers through pixel grouping in the spatial dimension and arrival time difference in the temporal dimension (GpDiff-QRNG). Experimental results indicate that the GpDiff-QRNG method significantly enhances the QRNG rate. In scenarios with a photon event probability of 1%, the QRNG rate of the GpDiff-QRNG method is 37 times higher than that of the traditional QRNG by difference of arrival time (Diff-QRNG) method. Furthermore, the random sequences generated by the GpDiff-QRNG method exhibit no periodicity and belong to pure random sequences of white noise. Our method greatly expands the application of QRNG for LiDAR anti-interference and anti-attack.
An optical quantum random number generator based on parity of the number of photons detected in the equal time intervals was proposed. Light emitted from a continuous wave laser diode is attenuated into discrete single-photon sequence. The single photon is detected by a single-photon avalanche photodiode module. Random bit is extracted by measuring the parity of number of photons detected in equal time interval. The random bit extraction circuit based on field programmable gate array was developed. The influences of the size of time interval and the performance parameters of single photon module on performance of the designed random number generator were analyzed. In order to achieve a random bit generator with small deviation and fast generation rate, a method of setting time interval automatically according to average counting rate was proposed. A random bit generation rate of 2 Mbit/s was obtained when the designed random number generator works on a counting rate of 20 Mcps and the equal time interval is set as 0.5 μs. The random bit sequences were tested by random number test program ENT and STS. The test results show that the generated random bit sequences fully meet the standards of true random numbers, and do not require post-processin ©, 2015, Chinese Optical Society. All right reserved.
Quantum random number generators (QRNGs) produce true random numbers with significant applications in quantum communication and numerical computation, where high-rate random number generation is critical. Photon detection-based quantum random-number generation methods have been widely studied. However, the generation rate is constrained by the count rate of single-photon detectors. This study proposes an efficient method that enhances random number generation by simultaneously detecting photons in temporal and spatial dimensions. We achieved simultaneous detection of photon arrival time and spatial position by employing a laboratory-developed 5 × 5 single-photon detector array and a high-saturation count rate multichannel time-to-digital converter. The maximum efficiency of the method was 21.1 bits per event and it maintained a consistent efficiency of 17.6 bits per event while achieving a random number generation rate of 2.1 Gbps. The proposed QRNG approach offers a promising pathway for significantly increasing random number generation rates, benefiting applications that require secure and high-speed random number sequences.
We present a high-quality bias-free quantum random number generator (QRNG) using photon arrival time selectively, in accordance with the number of photon detection events within a sampling time interval in attenuated light. It is well shown in both theoretical analysis and experimental verification that this random number production method eliminates both bias and correlation perfectly without more postprocessing and that the random number can clearly pass the standard randomness tests. We fulfill theoretical analysis and experimental verification of the method whose rate can reach up to 45 Mb/s.
The prototype quantum random number (random bit) generators (QRNG) consists of one photon at a time falling on a 50:5050:5050:50 beam splitter followed by random detection in one or the other other output beams due to the irreducible probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics. Due to the difficulties in producing single photons on demand, in practice, pulses of weak coherent (laser) light are used. In this paper we take a different approach, one that uses moderate coherent light. It is shown that a QRNG can be implemented by performing photon-number parity measurements. For moderate coherent light, the probabilities for obtaining even or odd parity in photon counts are 0.50.50.5 each. Photon counting with single-photon resolution can be performed through use of a cascade of beam splitters and single-photon detectors as was done recently in a photon-number parity-based interferometry experiment involving coherent light.