Characteristics of Fast Physical Random Bit Generation Using Chaotic Semiconductor Lasers

We investigate the characteristics of fast random bit generation using chaotic semiconductor lasers. The optical amplitudes of two lasers with chaotic oscillations induced by optical feedback are each sampled at a fixed rate to extract binary bit sequences which are then combined by an exclusive-OR operation to obtain a single random bit sequence. Bit sequences generated at rate of 1 Giga bit per second are verified to pass statistical tests of randomness. We describe the dependence of randomness on laser parameters, in particular the injection current, the external cavity length and the feedback strength. The results provide clear empirical guidelines for tuning the chaotic laser parameters to achieve random bit sequences. This study shows that chaotic laser devices can be fast and reliable sources of physical entropy for computing and communication applications.