Towards Integrating True Random Number Generation in Coherent Optical Transceivers

Milovancev D, Vokic N, Pacher C, Khan I, Marquardt C, Boxleitner W, Hubel H, Schrenk B (2020)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2020

Journal

IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)

Book Volume: 26

Article Number: 9126149

Journal Issue: 5

DOI: 10.1109/JSTQE.2020.3004206

Abstract

The integration of quantum communication functions often requires dedicated opto-electronic components that do not bode well with the technology roadmaps of telecom systems. We investigate the capability of commercial coherent transceiver sub-systems to support quantum random number generation next to classical data transmission, and demonstrate how the quantum entropy source based on vacuum fluctuations can be potentially converted into a true random number generator for this purpose. We discuss two possible implementations, building on a receiver- and a transmitter-centric architecture. In the first scheme, balanced homodyne broadband detection in a coherent intradyne receiver is exploited to measure the vacuum state at the input of a 90-degree hybrid. In our proof-of-principle demonstration, a clearance of >2 dB between optical and electrical noise is obtained over a wide bandwidth of more than 11 GHz. In the second scheme, we propose and evaluate the re-use of monitoring photodiodes of a polarization-multiplexed inphase/quadrature modulator for the same purpose. Time-interleaved random number generation is demonstrated for 10 Gbaud polarization-multiplexed quadrature phase shift keyed data transmission. The availability of detailed models will allow to calculate the extractable entropy and we accordingly show randomness extraction for our two proof-of-principle experiments, employing a two-universal strong extractor.

Authors with CRIS profile

Christoph Marquardt

Involved external institutions

AIT Austrian Institute of Technology AT Austria (AT) Max-Planck-Institut für die Physik des Lichts (MPL) / Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Milovancev, D., Vokic, N., Pacher, C., Khan, I., Marquardt, C., Boxleitner, W.,... Schrenk, B. (2020). Towards Integrating True Random Number Generation in Coherent Optical Transceivers. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics, 26(5). https://dx.doi.org/10.1109/JSTQE.2020.3004206

MLA:

Milovancev, Dinka, et al. "Towards Integrating True Random Number Generation in Coherent Optical Transceivers." IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Quantum Electronics 26.5 (2020).

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