A quantum random number generator (QRNG) is a device or system that generates random numbers by exploiting the inherent, fundamental randomness of quantum mechanical processes. This makes them fundamentally different from traditional random number generators, which rely on deterministic algorithms.
For more than twenty years, QRNGs have been primarily offered as hardware devices that directly measure quantum effects, such as the behavior of individual photons or electron tunneling. While these devices can achieve high bit rates, they face significant limitations. These approaches have an inability to isolate quantum randomness from classical noise sources, which can result in output that isn't pure quantum randomness. The devices can also be susceptible to environmental influences and hardware imperfections, and are prone to noise affecting randomness quality. Consequently, these systems often rely on statistical tests to verify their randomness quality. As acknowledged by NIST, however, statistical testing cannot provide absolute guarantees about unpredictability or randomness quality.
A different approach uses an entanglement-based process, employing a Bell test to mathematically prove the randomness quality on a quantum computer. Leveraging a randomness extractor, this one-time provably random output can be securely combined with a local randomness source to vastly improve the local source and remove potential bias. This model separates quantum generation from deployment, enabling provable randomness to be delivered via software. Quantum Origin is a solution that uses this method.