Quantum random number generation (QRNG) is a key element behind many applications. However, as a developing technology, there are still some drawbacks that need to be ironed out. So, let’s take a look at some pioneering innovations that are taking QRNGs to the next level.
First Generation QRNG Microchip
RNGs have long been used in a wide range of applications, from marketing to theoretical research, and even entertainment. Take something like online casinos, for example. RNGs essentially digitize the element of luck that a player would get by rolling a dice, picking a random card, or spinning a wheel. Some games use multiple RNGs for added functionality. Games like Big Racing Slot use RNGs to determine what symbols land across the reels in play. Separate RNGs are then used to select a winner of the bonus game. This ensures that the results are random, and neither aspects of gameplay are connected, so that the experience is authentic and fair.
In other settings like cybersecurity, however, QRNGs bring another level of randomness by harnessing the unpredictability and multiplicity of the laws of quantum physics. While QRNGs are traditionally quite bulky pieces of hardware, Quantum eMotion has made a key advancement in the development of a QRNG microchip. This microchip utilizes standard Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) processes but in a System-in-Package (SIP) solution. This provides integrated circuits in an area of under 1cm². This innovation has already caught the eye of people like Intel and IBM, as the microchip would allow QRNG-based security solutions to be integrated in a wide range of products.
Perovskite LEDs
QRNGs operate by emitting light from a source through a material. According to the laws of quantum physics, it is then simultaneously refracted and reflected, creating quantum bits. Eventually, the bits are picked up by sensors, the position of which determines the number that is generated. Thanks to this duality and complexity, the results of QRNGs cannot be predetermined, which is what makes them great choices for encryption applications.
That said, the LEDs can require a lot of energy, which can make them inaccessible to some – something that researchers at Linköping University hope to solve. This team has made breakthroughs using perovskite LEDs, which is a mineral primarily made of calcium titanate, and commonly used in solar cells. The use of perovskite should make QRNGs more economical, both in cost and energy consumption, in the future.
“Perovskite tin solar cell” (CC BY 2.0) by University of Oxford Press Office
World’s First Quantum Reservoir Computer
As we’ve already mentioned, a few of the key drawbacks of QRNGs are the size, cost, and energy usage. The same can be said for quantum computers. With this in mind, Quantum Computing Inc has designed the first-to-market reservoir computer with integrated QRNG capabilities, all within a portable solution anticipated for release this year.
The QCi Reservoir Computer is said to be able to do complex computations efficiently and quickly, whilst using 80 to 90% less energy than traditional computers. Due to its reliability, the QCi Reservoir computer has piqued the interest of cybersecurity companies, AI developers, and financial statisticians alike, thanks to its purported true randomness, and ability to boost machine learning for improved personalization and accuracy.
And there you have it – just a few innovations that signal the next generation of QRNGs. As for what the future of QRNGs might be, we’ll just have to wait and see when they might hit the mainstream shelves.
