High-Speed Random Number Generation and Key Distribution in Fiber Networks Using Amplified Spontaneous Emission

Amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise with inherent quantum nature is promising for true random number generator (TRNG) and secure key generation and distribution (SKGD). A high-speed TRNG and a physical-layer SKGD scheme are proposed and demonstrated using the polarization dynamics of an ASE source. The ASE-based randomness is enhanced in TRNG using digital signal processing on the two orthogonal polarization modes, while the fluctuation of the state of polarization (SOP) in ASE is applied as the random source in SKGD. A 16.8 Tb/s TRNG is successfully demonstrated with spectrum slicing of ASE. An error-free SKGD with a key generation rate (KGR) of 10.1 Gb/s is demonstrated over a 10-km standard single-mode fiber channel.