Abstract
Random numbers are commonly used in many different fields, ranging from simulations in fundamental science to security applications. In some critical cases, as Bell’s tests and cryptography, the random numbers are required to be both private and to be provided at an ultra-fast rate. However, practical generators are usually considered trusted, but their security can be compromised in case of imperfections or malicious external actions. In this work we introduce an efficient protocol which guarantees security and speed in the generation. We propose a source-device-independent protocol based on generic Positive Operator Valued Measurements and then we specialize the result to heterodyne measurements. Furthermore, we experimentally implemented the protocol, reaching a secure generation rate of 17.42 Gbit/s, without the need of an initial source of randomness. The security of the protocol has been proven for general attacks in the finite key scenario.
Highlights
Random numbers are commonly used in many different fields, ranging from simulations in fundamental science to security applications
We propose and demonstrate a continuous variable (CV)-quantum random number generator (QRNG) based on heterodyne detection in the Source-DI framework: we will show how it is possible to obtain a lower bound on the eavesdropper quantum side information and to achieve, to our knowledge, the fastest generation rate in the Semi-DI framework
In standard CV-QRNGs, random numbers are obtained by measuring with an homodyne detector a quadrature observable of the EM fields, typically prepared in a vacuum state
Summary
Random numbers are commonly used in many different fields, ranging from simulations in fundamental science to security applications. Semi-device-independent (Semi-DI) protocols[12], are a promising approach to enhance the security with respect to standard “fully trusted” QRNG, achieving fast generation rate, dramatically larger than DI QRNG These require some weaker assumptions to bound the side information. We propose and demonstrate a CV-QRNG based on heterodyne detection in the Source-DI framework: we will show how it is possible to obtain a lower bound on the eavesdropper quantum side information (i.e., the conditional min-entropy) and to achieve, to our knowledge, the fastest generation rate in the Semi-DI framework. Our Source-DI protocol assumes a trusted detector but it does not make any assumption on the source: an eavesdropper may fully control it, manipulating it in order to maximize her ability to predict the outcomes of the generator Such approach is very effective in taking into account any imperfect state preparation. The electric signals coming from the detectors are digitalized in burst mode by an oscilloscope and further post-processed, achieving an equivalent generation rate of secure random numbers > 17 Gbit/s
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