Random number generation from a self-chaotic broad-area VCSEL

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that a self-chaotic broad-area VCSEL can generate high-rate random numbers without external perturbations, offering a simple and robust solution for entropy generation.

Contribution

It introduces a novel chaos-based RNG using a self-chaotic VCSEL that does not need optical feedback or injection, simplifying implementation.

Findings

Achieves up to 150 Gb/s random number generation passing NIST tests.

Exhibits high correlation dimension, bandwidth, and spectral flatness.

System performance remains consistent across various parameters.

Abstract

The nonlinear dynamics of transverse and polarization modes of a broad-area vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (BA-VCSEL) exhibit, without any external perturbation, chaos with high correlation dimension, large bandwidth (BW), and good spectral flatness over a wide range of currents. We leverage this for high bit-rate entropy generation and random number generation (RNG), passing the NIST tests with rates up to 150~Gb/s, and observe a correlation between the correlation dimension and the number of passed NIST tests. The RNG shows consistent performance across a wide range of parameters. In contrast to other setups, our system does not require optical feedback or optical injection to generate chaos, making it simple, compact and robust.