Fast all-optical random number generator

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel all-optical method for high-speed random number generation using laser mode hopping and spontaneous emission noise, achieving 2.5 Gb/s with verified randomness in a simple, monolithic setup.

Contribution

It presents a new all-optical approach for fast random number generation based on laser mode hopping and spontaneous emission noise, validated through theoretical simulation.

Findings

Achieves 2.5 Gb/s random number generation rate.

Demonstrates verified randomness in the generated streams.

Provides a simple, monolithic all-optical solution.

Abstract

We propose a simple and all-optical method for fast random number generation based on the laser mode hopping. Through periodically restarting a two-mode laser operating in the bistable state, a random number stream can be generated due to the spontaneous emission noise. To validate the feasibility of this method, we perform a theoretical simulation using the common vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) with two polarization modes. Numerical results demonstrate that fast 2.5 Gb/s random number streams can be continuously obtained with verified randomness. This scheme provide a fully monolithic solution for random number generator, due to its simple and all-optical structure.