Rolling the Dice with Light Competition: Introducing a True Random Number Generator Powered by Photo-Induced Polarity...

Area of Science:

• Hardware security
• Random number generation

Background:

• True random number generators (TRNGs) are crucial for hardware security.
• Existing TRNGs explore diverse physical phenomena for randomness.
• The need for robust and efficient TRNGs persists.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce a novel arc discharge light-induced TRNG (ALTRNG).
• Investigate wavelength-dependent photocurrent generation for randomness.
• Validate the randomness of generated bits using NIST standards.

Main Methods:

• Utilized arc discharge irradiation and a bipolar photo-responsive photodetector (BPPD).
• Exploited the BPPD's distinct photocurrent responses to deep-ultraviolet (DUV) and blue light.
• Employed National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 15 tests for validation.

Main Results:

• The ALTRNG produced highly random bits with proven unpredictability, uniform distribution, and stability.
• Demonstrated distinct photocurrent generation under arc discharge illumination.
• Achieved a readout circuit speed of 2 kbps for wireless transmission.

Conclusions:

• The ALTRNG is a viable hardware security solution for generating true random numbers.
• Wireless random number transmission is feasible, enabling applications like secure password systems.
• Potential applications include secure communication and artificial X-ray image generation.