A post-processing-free single-photon random number generator with ultra-low latency
- Resource Type
- Authors
- Joshua C. Bienfang; Michael A. Wayne; Zachary H. Levine; Alan L. Migdall
- Source
- Optics express. 26(25)
- Subject
- Number generator
Photon
Stochastic process
Random number generation
business.industry
Computer science
Quantum key distribution
01 natural sciences
Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Article
Bit (horse)
Optics
0103 physical sciences
Bell test experiments
Predictability
Bernoulli process
Allan variance
Latency (engineering)
010306 general physics
business
010301 acoustics
Algorithm
- Language
- ISSN
- 1094-4087
The low-latency requirements of a practical loophole-free Bell test preclude time-consuming post-processing steps that are often used to improve the statistical quality of a physical random number generator (RNG). Here we demonstrate a post-processing-free RNG that produces a random bit within 2.4(2) ns of an input trigger. We use weak feedback to eliminate long-term drift, resulting in 24 hour operation with output that is statistically indistinguishable from a Bernoulli process. We quantify the impact of the feedback on the predictability of the output as less than 6.4×10(−7) and demonstrate the utility of the Allan variance as a tool for characterizing non-idealities in RNGs.