We describe a one-chip generator able to provide streams of random sequences of "1" and "0" bits at 500 kbit/s, that can be grouped in bytes or longer numeric sequences, depending on the user's application. The random "heart" of the generator is a quantum device that gets spontaneously ignited with a Poissonian probability distribution. The methodology differs from others so far reported not only for the presence of the quantum device but also for the way we use its ignitions to provide random bits. Beside the principle of operation, we developed and fabricated a CMOS chip that exploits the method. Herewith we report the design and the experimental results.

Date Published: 26 January 2009
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 7236, Quantum Communications Realized II, 72360J (26 January 2009); doi: 10.1117/12.807957

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7236:
Quantum Communications Realized II
Yasuhiko Arakawa; Masahide Sasaki; Hideyuki Sotobayashi, Editor(s)