Abstract
We present a photonic approach for fast quantum random number generation based on optically sampled amplified spontaneous emission (ASE). This approach utilizes a terahertz optical asymmetric demultiplexer to sample the ASE and then digitize the sampled optical pulses into random bits using a multi-bit parallel comparator. A proof-of-concept experiment demonstrates that 40 Gb/s random bits with verified randomness can be obtained using our method. The current generation rate is mainly limited by the bandwidth of the available ASE source.
Highlights
True random numbers play crucial roles in various areas, especially for high-tech communication security
Williams et al pioneered the work of fast random number generations based on the filtered amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) from a fiber amplifier and produced a 12.5 Gb/s random bit sequence using threshold comparison and off-line XOR decorrelation techniques in 2010.14 In 2014, our group exploited a similar threshold comparison technique by merging an electrical single-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a XOR gate and successfully achieved a 2.5 Gb/s realtime Quantum random number generators (QRNGs) utilizing the filtered ASE from a super-luminescent diode (SLD)
In comparison with the previous QRNG schemes, there exist at least two significant advantages to our approach. (i) Using an optical sampler driven by ultrashort mode-locked optical pulses can overcome the electronic jitter issue confronted by electrical ADCs
Summary
True random numbers play crucial roles in various areas, especially for high-tech communication security. When the sampling rate is high in the range of 10 GHz, even a small timing jitter can destroy the output code waveform and its associated eye diagram from the electrical ADC This may cause that the quantized waveform cannot be coded correctly into binary random bit sequences. It can be seen from Ref. 24 that when the jitter is reduced to the level of 10 fs, the effective quantization resolution and the analog bandwidth at least has the potential to be enhanced to the level of 8 bits and 10 GHz, respectively This inspires us to propose and experimentally demonstrate a photonics-based scheme for fast multi-bit quantum random number generation. (i) Using an optical sampler driven by ultrashort mode-locked optical pulses can overcome the electronic jitter issue confronted by electrical ADCs. In comparison with the previous QRNG schemes, there exist at least two significant advantages to our approach. We believe that this work will motivate more implementation of ultrafast QRNGs with associated all-optical signal processing technologies in the near future
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