The generation of random numbers is a task of paramount importance in modern science. A central problem for both classical and quantum randomness generation is to estimate the entropy of the data generated by a given device. Here we present a protocol for self-testing quantum random number generation, in which the user can monitor the entropy in real-time. Based on a few general assumptions, our protocol guarantees continuous generation of high quality randomness, without the need for a detailed characterization of the devices. Using a fully optical setup, we implement our protocol and illustrate its self-testing capacity. Our work thus provides a practical approach to quantum randomness generation in a scenario of trusted but error-prone devices.
@article{arxiv.1410.2790,
title = {A self-testing quantum random number generator},
author = {Tommaso Lunghi and Jonatan Bohr Brask and Charles Ci Wen Lim and Quentin Lavigne and Joseph Bowles and Anthony Martin and Hugo Zbinden and Nicolas Brunner},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1410.2790},
year = {2016}
}
Comments
12 pages, 4 figures, including supplementary material