Atmospheric pressure air microplasma current time series for true random bit generation

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Electrical Engineering
• Information Security

Background:

• Generating high-quality true random bits at high data rates is a significant challenge.
• Deterministic algorithms and chaotic systems often produce pseudorandom bits, necessitating physical entropy sources.
• Existing methods for true random bit generation can be complex and costly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a reliable and high-speed true random bit generator (TRBG).
• To utilize the unpredictable electrical current time series of atmospheric pressure air microplasma (APAMP) as an entropy source.
• To validate the quality of generated random bits using rigorous statistical testing.

Main Methods:

• Developed a TRBG device based on APAMP current time series.
• Sampled the current time series and binarized it.
• Tested the generated bitstreams against the NIST SP 800-22 statistical test suite.
• Evaluated system performance at various sampling rates (up to 100 MS/s) and inter-electrode distances.

Main Results:

• The binarized bitstreams passed all 15 tests of the NIST SP 800-22 suite without post-processing.
• The APAMP-based TRBG demonstrated reliable operation at high data rates.
• Successful testing across different system configurations, including varying optical emission characteristics.

Conclusions:

• The APAMP system provides a robust and high-speed source for true random bit generation.
• The simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and ease of implementation make APAMP a promising solution for portable TRBGs.
• This approach offers a viable alternative to existing pseudorandom bit generators and complex TRBG systems.