Quantum random number generator using a cloud superconducting quantum computer based on source-independent protocol

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 23873 - 11
• Main Authors: Li, Yuanhao, Fei, Yangyang, Wang, Weilong, Meng, Xiangdong, Wang, Hong, Duan, Qianheng, Ma, Zhi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 13.12.2021; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 639/766/259; 639/766/483/1139; 639/766/483/481; Computers; Humanities and Social Sciences; Information processing; multidisciplinary; Numbers; Optics; Quantum computing; Science; Science (multidisciplinary)
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03286-9

Quantum random number generator (QRNG) relies on the intrinsic randomness of quantum mechanics to produce true random numbers which are important in information processing tasks. Due to the presence of the superposition state, a quantum computer can be used as a true random number generator. However, in practice, the implementation of the quantum computer is subject to various noise sources, which affects the randomness of the generated random numbers. To solve this problem, we propose a scheme based on the quantum computer which is motivated by the source-independent QRNG scheme in optics. By using a method to estimate the upper bound of the superposition state preparation error, the scheme can provide certified randomness in the presence of readout errors. To increase the generation rate of random bits, we also provide a parameter optimization method with a finite data size. In addition, we experimentally demonstrate our scheme on the cloud superconducting quantum computers of IBM.