Traceable random numbers from a non-local quantum advantage

Area of Science:

• Quantum Information Science
• Cryptography
• Computer Science

Background:

• Unpredictable random numbers are crucial for digital security and fair resource allocation.
• Current random number generators (RNGs) have limitations in traceability, auditability, and certifiability of unpredictability.
• Algorithmic RNGs are auditable but cannot guarantee a priori unpredictability, while device-independent quantum RNGs have vulnerable extraction steps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate a fully traceable random number generation protocol.
• To address the limitations of existing RNGs by ensuring auditable and certifiable unpredictability.
• To establish a public, traceable, and certifiable quantum randomness beacon.

Main Methods:

• Developed a protocol based on device-independent quantum techniques.
• Extracted randomness from unpredictable non-local quantum correlations.
• Utilized distributed intertwined hash chains for cryptographic tracing and verification of randomness extraction.

Main Results:

• Successfully demonstrated a fully traceable and certifiable random number generation protocol.
• Launched a public quantum randomness beacon achieving a 99.7% success rate over 40 days.
• Emitted 512 bits of traceable randomness per successful protocol run, certified to be uniform with a bounded error probability (2^-64).

Conclusions:

• The protocol provides a public service for generating certifiable and traceable randomness.
• This quantum approach offers an entanglement-derived advantage over classical methods for secure randomness generation.
• The developed method enhances the trustworthiness and security of random number generation for critical applications.