Generation of physical random number using frequency-modulated LC oscillation circuit with shot noise

Abstract

The authors previously published a physical method for the generation of random numbers by a variable capacitance parametron, which can generate uniform random numbers without periodicity. It is considered possible to generate random numbers with an ordinary oscillator if the oscillation frequency is made unstable. As a method of introducing instability, frequency modulation of an LC oscillator with shot noise is considered. The present paper describes experiments with an LC oscillator to which shot noise is applied. An evaluation of statistical randomness (FIPS140-2) is carried out for the generated number sequence as cryptographic random numbers. It is shown that generation of random numbers is possible. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 3, 88(5): 12–19, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecjc.20149