Fast random number generation with spontaneous emission noise of a single-mode semiconductor laser

We experimentally demonstrate a 12.5 Gb s−1 random number generator based on measuring the spontaneous emission noise of a single-mode semiconductor laser. The spontaneous emission of light is quantum mechanical in nature and is an inborn physical entropy source of true randomness. By combining a high-speed analog-to-digital converter and off-line processing, random numbers are extracted from the spontaneous emission with the verified randomness. The generator is simple, robust, and with no need of accurately tuning the comparison threshold. The use of semiconductor lasers makes it particularly compatible with the delivery of random numbers in optical networks.