https://doi.org/10.1140/epjqt/s40507-022-00136-z
Research
Independent quality assessment of a commercial quantum random number generator
1
Russian Quantum Center, 121205, Skolkovo, Moscow, Russia
2
NTI Center for Quantum Communications, National University of Science and Technology MISiS, 119049, Moscow, Russia
3
Moscow State University, 119991, Moscow, Russia
4
Institute for Theoretical Physics, ETH Zurich, CH-8093, Zurich, Switzerland
5
Microsoft Corporation, One Microsoft Way, 98052, Redmond, WA, USA
6
Shanghai Branch, National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale and CAS Center for Excellence in Quantum Information, University of Science and Technology of China, 201315, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
7
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Waterloo, ON, Canada
Received:
20
December
2021
Accepted:
15
June
2022
Published online:
27
June
2022
We reverse-engineer, test and analyse hardware and firmware of the commercial quantum-optical random number generator Quantis from ID Quantique. We show that of its output data originates in physically random processes: random timing of photon absorption in a semiconductor material, and random growth of avalanche owing to impact ionisation. Under a strong assumption that these processes correspond to a measurement of an initially pure state of the components, our analysis implies the unpredictability of the generated randomness. We have also found minor non-random contributions from imperfections in detector electronics and an internal processing algorithm, specific to this particular device. Our work shows that the design quality of a commercial quantum-optical randomness source can be verified without cooperation of the manufacturer and without access to the engineering documentation.
© The Author(s) 2022
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