QUANTUM RANDOM NUMBER GENERATOR (QRNG)

Jan. 3, 2021

The DRDO Young Scientist Laboratory for Quantum Technologies (DYSL-QT), a DRDO facility based in Mumbai, has developed a Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG) which has the ability to detect random quantum events and convert those into a stream of binary digits.

About:

  • The Laboratory has developed a fibre-optic branch path based QRNG.

  • Branch path based QRNG is based on the principle that if a single photon is incident on a balanced beam splitter, it will take either of the beam-splitter output paths randomly.

  • As the path chosen by photon is random, the randomness is translated to sequence of bits.

Significance:

  • With this development India enters the club of countries who have the technology to achieve the generation of random numbers based on the Quantum Phenomenon.

  • Random numbers have essential roles in various fields ranging from quantum communication, cryptography applications like key generation, key wrapping, authentication along with scientific simulations, lotteries and fundamental physics experiments.

  • The generation of perfect randomness is generally considered impossible with classical methodologies.

  • Quantum mechanics has the inherent potential of providing true random numbers and thus has become the preferred option for scientific applications requiring randomness.

Latest Current Affairs

See All