Device-independent Randomness Research Articles

Revealing incommensurability between device-independent randomness, nonlocality, and entanglement using Hardy and Hardy-type relations

A comprehensive treatment of the quantification of randomness certified device-independently by using the Hardy and Cabello-Liang-Li (CLL) nonlocality relations is provided in the two parties-two measurements per party-two outcomes per measurement (2-2-2) scenario. For the Hardy nonlocality, it is revealed that for a given amount of nonlocality signified by a particular non-zero value of the Hardy parameter, the amount of Hardy-certifiable randomness is not unique, unlike the way the amount of certifiable randomness is related to the CHSH nonlocality. This is because any specified non-maximal value of Hardy nonlocality parameter characterises a set of quantum extremal distributions. Then this leads to a range of certifiable amounts of randomness corresponding to a given Hardy parameter. On the other hand, for a given amount of CLL-nonlocality, the certifiable randomness is unique, similar to that for the CHSH nonlocality. Furthermore, the tightness of our analytical treatment evaluating the respective guaranteed bounds for the Hardy and CLL relations is demonstrated by their exact agreement with the Semi-Definite-Programming based computed bounds. Interestingly, the analytically evaluated maximum achievable bounds of both Hardy and CLL-certified randomness have been found to be realisable for non-maximal values of the Hardy and CLL nonlocality parameters. In particular, we have shown that even close to the maximum 2 bits of CLL-certified randomness can be realised from non-maximally entangled pure two-qubit states corresponding to small values of the CLL nonlocal parameter. This, therefore, clearly illustrates the quantitative incommensurability between randomness, nonlocality and entanglement.

Device-independent quantum randomness-enhanced zero-knowledge proof.

Zero-knowledge proof (ZKP) is a fundamental cryptographic primitive that allows a prover to convince a verifier of the validity of a statement without leaking any further information. As an efficient variant of ZKP, noninteractive zero-knowledge proof (NIZKP) adopting the Fiat-Shamir heuristic is essential to a wide spectrum of applications, such as federated learning, blockchain, and social networks. However, the heuristic is typically built upon the random oracle model that makes ideal assumptions about hash functions, which does not hold in reality and thus undermines the security of the protocol. Here, we present a quantum solution to the problem. Instead of resorting to a random oracle model, we implement a quantum randomness service. This service generates random numbers certified by the loophole-free Bell test and delivers them with postquantum cryptography (PQC) authentication. By employing this service, we conceive and implement NIZKP of the three-coloring problem. By bridging together three prominent research themes, quantum nonlocality, PQC, and ZKP, we anticipate this work to inspire more innovative applications that combine quantum information science and the cryptography field.

Experimental certification of more than one bit of quantum randomness in the two inputs and two outputs scenario

One of the striking properties of quantum mechanics is the occurrence of the Bell-type non-locality. They are a fundamental feature of the theory that allows two parties that share an entangled quantum system to observe correlations stronger than possible in classical physics. In addition to their theoretical significance, non-local correlations have practical applications, such as device-independent randomness generation, providing private unpredictable numbers even when they are obtained using devices delivered by an untrusted vendor. Thus, determining the quantity of certifiable randomness that can be produced using a specific set of non-local correlations is of significant interest. In this paper, we present an experimental realization of recent Bell-type operators designed to provide private random numbers that are secure against adversaries with quantum resources. We use semi-definite programming to provide lower bounds on the generated randomness in terms of both min-entropy and von Neumann entropy in a device-independent scenario. We compare experimental setups providing Bell violations close to the Tsirelson’s bound with lower rates of events, with setups having slightly worse levels of violation but higher event rates. Our results demonstrate the first experiment that certifies close to two bits of randomness from binary measurements of two parties. Apart from single-round certification, we provide an analysis of finite-key protocol for quantum randomness expansion using the Entropy Accumulation theorem and show its advantages compared to existing solutions.

Tilted Hardy paradoxes for device-independent randomness extraction

The device-independent paradigm has had spectacular successes in randomness generation, key distribution and self-testing, however most of these results have been obtained under the assumption that parties hold trusted and private random seeds. In efforts to relax the assumption of measurement independence, Hardy's non-locality tests have been proposed as ideal candidates. In this paper, we introduce a family of tilted Hardy paradoxes that allow to self-test general pure two-qubit entangled states, as well as certify up to 1 bit of local randomness. We then use these tilted Hardy tests to obtain an improvement in the generation rate in the state-of-the-art randomness amplification protocols for Santha-Vazirani (SV) sources with arbitrarily limited measurement independence. Our result shows that device-independent randomness amplification is possible for arbitrarily biased SV sources and from almost separable states. Finally, we introduce a family of Hardy tests for maximally entangled states of local dimension 4,8 as the potential candidates for DI randomness extraction to certify up to the maximum possible 2log⁡d bits of global randomness.

Improved device-independent randomness expansion rates using two sided randomness

A device-independent randomness expansion (DIRE) protocol aims to take an initial random string and generate a longer one, where the security of the protocol does not rely on knowing the inner workings of the devices used to run it. In order to do so, the protocol tests that the devices violate a Bell inequality and one then needs to bound the amount of extractable randomness in terms of the observed violation. The entropy accumulation theorem lower bounds the extractable randomness of a protocol with many rounds in terms of the single-round von Neumann entropy of any strategy achieving the observed score. Tight bounds on the von Neumann entropy are known for the one-sided randomness (i.e. where the randomness from only one party is used) when using the Clauser–Horne–Shimony–Holt game. Here we investigate the possible improvement that could be gained using the two-sided randomness. We generate upper bounds on this randomness by attempting to find the optimal eavesdropping strategy, providing analytic formulae in two cases. We additionally compute lower bounds that outperform previous ones and can be made arbitrarily tight (at the expense of more computation time). These bounds get close to our upper bounds, and hence we conjecture that our upper bounds are tight. We also consider a modified protocol in which the input randomness is recycled. This modified protocol shows the possibility of rate gains of several orders of magnitude based on recent experimental parameters, making DIRE significantly more practical. It also enables the locality loophole to be closed while expanding randomness in a way that typical spot-checking protocols do not.

Device-independent randomness based on a tight upper bound of the maximal quantum value of chained inequality

The violation of Bell inequality not only provides the most radical departure of quantum theory from classical concepts, but also paves the way of applications in such as device independent randomness certification. Here, we derive the tight upper bound of the maximum quantum value for chained Bell inequality with arbitrary number of measurements on each party. \lxh{ The constraints where the upper bound saturates are also presented. This method provides us the necessary and sufficient conditions for some quantum states to violate the chained Bell inequality with arbitrary number of measurements}. Based on the tight upper bound we present the lower bounds on the device independent randomness with respect to the Werner states. \lxh{In particular, we present lower bounds on the randomness generation rates of chained Bell inequality for different number of measurements, which are compared with the family of Bell inequalities proposed by Wooltorton et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 150403 (2022)]. Our results show that chained Bell inequality with three measurements has certain advantages at a low level of noise and could be used to improve randomness generation rates in practice.

Improved DIQKD protocols with finite-size analysis

The security of finite-length keys is essential for the implementation of device-independent quantum key distribution (DIQKD). Presently, there are several finite-size DIQKD security proofs, but they are mostly focused on standard DIQKD protocols and do not directly apply to the recent improved DIQKD protocols based on noisy preprocessing, random key measurements, and modified CHSH inequalities. Here, we provide a general finite-size security proof that can simultaneously encompass these approaches, using tighter finite-size bounds than previous analyses. In doing so, we develop a method to compute tight lower bounds on the asymptotic keyrate for any such DIQKD protocol with binary inputs and outputs. With this, we show that positive asymptotic keyrates are achievable up to depolarizing noise values of 9.33%, exceeding all previously known noise thresholds. We also develop a modification to random-key-measurement protocols, using a pre-shared seed followed by a "seed recovery" step, which yields substantially higher net key generation rates by essentially removing the sifting factor. Some of our results may also improve the keyrates of device-independent randomness expansion.

Device-independent randomness certification using multiple copies of entangled states

We demonstrate to what extent many copies of maximally entangled two-qubit states enable for generating a greater amount of certified randomness than that can be certified from a single copy. Although it appears that greater the dimension of the system implies a higher amount of randomness, the non-triviality lies in the device-independent simultaneous certification of generated randomness from many copies of entangled states. This is because, most of the two-outcome Bell inequalities (viz., Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt, Elegant, or Chain Bell inequality) are optimized for a single copy of two-qubit entangled state. Thus, such Bell inequalities can certify neither many copies of entangled states nor a higher amount of randomness. In this work, we suitably invoke a family of n-settings Bell inequalities which is optimized for ⌊n/2⌋ copies of maximally entangled two-qubit states, thereby, possess the ability to certify more randomness from many copies of two-qubit entangled state.

Tight Analytic Bound on the Trade-Off between Device-Independent Randomness and Nonlocality.

Two parties sharing entangled quantum systems can generate correlations that cannot be produced using only shared classical resources. These nonlocal correlations are a fundamental feature of quantum theory but also have practical applications. For instance, they can be used for device-independent random number generation, whose security is certified independently of the operations performed inside the devices. The amount of certifiable randomness that can be generated from some given nonlocal correlations is a key quantity of interest. Here, we derive tight analytic bounds on the maximum certifiable randomness as a function of the nonlocality as expressed using the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) value. We show that for every CHSH value greater than the local value (2) and up to 3sqrt[3]/2≈2.598 there exist quantum correlations with that CHSH value that certify a maximal two bits of global randomness. Beyond this CHSH value the maximum certifiable randomness drops. We give a second family of Bell inequalities for CHSH values above 3sqrt[3]/2, and show that they certify the maximum possible randomness for the given CHSH value. Our work hence provides an achievable upper bound on the amount of randomness that can be certified for any CHSH value. We illustrate the robustness of our results, and how they could be used to improve randomness generation rates in practice, using a Werner state noise model.

Private Weakly-Random Sequences from Human Heart Rate for Quantum Amplification.

We investigate whether the heart rate can be treated as a semi-random source with the aim of amplification by quantum devices. We use a semi-random source model called -Santha–Vazirani source, which can be amplified via quantum protocols to obtain a fully private random sequence. We analyze time intervals between consecutive heartbeats obtained from Holter electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings of people of different sex and age. We propose several transformations of the original time series into binary sequences. We have performed different statistical randomness tests and estimated quality parameters. We find that the heart can be treated as a good enough, and private by its nature, source of randomness that every human possesses. As such, in principle, it can be used as input to quantum device-independent randomness amplification protocols. The properly interpreted parameter can potentially serve as a new characteristic of the human heart from the perspective of medicine.

Certified randomness from a remote-state-preparation dimension witness

Randomness in Bell test data can be device-independently certified by Bell's theorem without placing assumptions about the experimental devices. The device-independent randomness has very demanding requirement about the experimental devices and relatively lower output randomness. With the same Bell test data we can extract substantially more randomness without using Bell's theorem. To achieve this goal, we introduce a remote state preparation dimension witness and a semi-device-independent randomness certification model which is based on it. This is one important step towards practical use of Bell test in randomness generation.

Device-independent certification of tensor products of quantum states using single-copy self-testing protocols

Self-testing protocols are methods to determine the presence of shared entangled states in a device independent scenario, where no assumptions on the measurements involved in the protocol are made. A particular type of self-testing protocol, called parallel self-testing, can certify the presence of copies of a state, however such protocols typically suffer from the problem of requiring a number of measurements that increases with respect to the number of copies one aims to certify. Here we propose a procedure to transform single-copy self-testing protocols into a procedure that certifies the tensor product of an arbitrary number of (not necessarily equal) quantum states, without increasing the number of parties or measurement choices. Moreover, we prove that self-testing protocols that certify a state and rank-one measurements can always be parallelized to certify many copies of the state. Our results suggest a method to achieve device-independent unbounded randomness expansion with high-dimensional quantum states.

Device-independent randomness expansion against quantum side information

The ability to produce random numbers that are unknown to any outside party is crucial for many applications. Device-independent randomness generation does not require trusted devices and therefore provides strong guarantees of the security of the output, but it comes at the price of requiring the violation of a Bell inequality for implementation. A further challenge is to make the bounds in the security proofs tight enough to allow randomness expansion with contemporary technology. Although randomness has been generated in recent experiments, the amount of randomness consumed in doing so has been too high to certify expansion based on existing theory. Here we present an experiment that demonstrates device-independent randomness expansion. By developing a Bell test setup with a single-photon detection efficiency of around $84\%$ and by using a spot-checking protocol, we achieve a net gain of $2.57\times10^8$ certified bits with a soundness error $3.09\times10^{-12}$. The experiment ran for $19.2$ h, which corresponds to an average rate of randomness generation of $13,527$ bits per second. By developing the entropy accumulation theorem, we establish security against quantum adversaries. We anticipate that this work will lead to further improvements that push device-independence towards commercial viability.

Experimental Realization of Device-Independent Quantum Randomness Expansion

Randomness expansion where one generates a longer sequence of random numbers from a short one is viable in quantum mechanics but not allowed classically. Device-independent quantum randomness expansion provides a randomness resource of the highest security level. Here, we report the first experimental realization of device-independent quantum randomness expansion secure against quantum side information established through quantum probability estimation. We generate 5.47×10^{8} quantum-proof random bits while consuming 4.39×10^{8} bits of entropy, expanding our store of randomness by 1.08×10^{8} bits at a latency of about 13.1h, with a total soundness error 4.6×10^{-10}. Device-independent quantum randomness expansion not only enriches our understanding of randomness but also sets a solid base to bring quantum-certifiable random bits into realistic applications.

Device-independent randomness expansion with entangled photons

With the growing availability of experimental loophole-free Bell tests1–5, it has become possible to implement a new class of device-independent random number generators whose output can be certified6,7 to be uniformly random without requiring a detailed model of the quantum devices used8–10. However, all these experiments require many input bits to certify a small number of output bits, and it is an outstanding challenge to develop a system that generates more randomness than is consumed. Here we devise a device-independent spot-checking protocol that consumes only uniform bits without requiring any additional bits with a specific bias. Implemented with a photonic loophole-free Bell test, we can produce 24% more certified output bits (1,181,264,237) than consumed input bits (953,301,640). The experiment ran for 91.0 h, creating randomness at an average rate of 3,606 bits s–1 with a soundness error bounded by 5.7 × 10−7 in the presence of classical side information. Our system allows for greater trust in public sources of randomness, such as randomness beacons11, and may one day enable high-quality private sources of randomness as the device footprint shrinks. Device-independent randomness expansion is demonstrated in an experiment that is secure in the presence of a classical eavesdropper who does not share any entanglement with the setup.

Computing conditional entropies for quantum correlations

The rates of quantum cryptographic protocols are usually expressed in terms of a conditional entropy minimized over a certain set of quantum states. In particular, in the device-independent setting, the minimization is over all the quantum states jointly held by the adversary and the parties that are consistent with the statistics that are seen by the parties. Here, we introduce a method to approximate such entropic quantities. Applied to the setting of device-independent randomness generation and quantum key distribution, we obtain improvements on protocol rates in various settings. In particular, we find new upper bounds on the minimal global detection efficiency required to perform device-independent quantum key distribution without additional preprocessing. Furthermore, we show that our construction can be readily combined with the entropy accumulation theorem in order to establish full finite-key security proofs for these protocols.

Bounding sets of sequential quantum correlations and device-independent randomness certification

An important problem in quantum information theory is that of bounding sets of correlations that arise from making local measurements on entangled states of arbitrary dimension. Currently, the best-known method to tackle this problem is the NPA hierarchy; an infinite sequence of semidefinite programs that provides increasingly tighter outer approximations to the desired set of correlations. In this work we consider a more general scenario in which one performs sequences of local measurements on an entangled state of arbitrary dimension. We show that a simple adaptation of the original NPA hierarchy provides an analogous hierarchy for this scenario, with comparable resource requirements and convergence properties. We then use the method to tackle some problems in device-independent quantum information. First, we show how one can robustly certify over 2.3 bits of device-independent local randomness from a two-quibt state using a sequence of measurements, going beyond the theoretical maximum of two bits that can be achieved with non-sequential measurements. Finally, we show tight upper bounds to two previously defined tasks in sequential Bell test scenarios.

Arbitrarily Many Independent Observers Can Share the Nonlocality of a Single Maximally Entangled Qubit Pair.

Alice and Bob each have half of a pair of entangled qubits. Bob measures his half and then passes his qubit to a second Bob who measures again and so on. The goal is to maximize the number of Bobs that can have an expected violation of the Clauser-Horne-Shimony-Holt (CHSH) Bell inequality with the single Alice. This scenario was introduced in [R. Silva et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 250401 (2015)PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.114.250401] where the authors mentioned evidence that when the Bobs act independently and with unbiased inputs then at most two of them can expect to violate the CHSH inequality with Alice. Here we show that, contrary to this evidence, arbitrarily many independent Bobs can have an expected CHSH violation with the single Alice. Our proof is constructive and our measurement strategies can be generalized to work with a larger class of two-qubit states that includes all pure entangled two-qubit states. Since violation of a Bell inequality is necessary for device-independent tasks, our work represents a step towards an eventual understanding of the limitations on how much device-independent randomness can be robustly generated from a single pair of qubits.

Device-Independent Randomness Amplification and Privatization

Randomness is an essential resource in computer science. In most applications perfect, and sometimes private, randomness is needed, while it is not even clear that such a resource exists. It is well known that the tools of classical computer science do not allow us to create perfect and secret randomness from a single weak public source. Quantum physics, on the other hand, allows for such a process, even in the most paranoid cryptographic sense termed "quantum device-independent cryptography". In this work we propose and prove the security of a new device-independent protocol that takes any single public Santha-Vazirani source as input and creates a secret close to uniform string in the presence of a quantum adversary. Our work is the first to achieve randomness amplification with all the following properties: (1) amplification and "privatization" of a public Santha-Vazirani source with arbitrary bias (2) the use of a device with only two components (compared to polynomial number of components) (3) non-vanishing extraction rate and (4) maximal noise tolerance. In particular, this implies that our protocol is the first protocol that can possibly be implemented with reachable parameters. We are able to achieve these by combining three new tools: a particular family of Bell inequalities, a proof technique to lower bound entropy in the device-independent setting, and a special framework for quantum-proof multi-source extractors.

Experimental Low-Latency Device-Independent Quantum Randomness.

Applications of randomness such as private key generation and public randomness beacons require small blocks of certified random bits on demand. Device-independent quantum random number generators can produce such random bits, but existing quantum-proof protocols and loophole-free implementations suffer from high latency, requiring many hours to produce any random bits. We demonstrate device-independent quantum randomness generation from a loophole-free Bell test with a more efficient quantum-proof protocol, obtaining multiple blocks of 512 random bits with an average experiment time of less than 5min per block and with a certified error bounded by 2^{-64}≈5.42×10^{-20}.