Recent development paves path for a new kind of quantum communication

A new type of random number generator for encryption developed at Linköping University in Sweden can make sharing safer, more inexpensive, and less harmful to the environment.

The study's authors think that a new kind of quantum communication will be possible thanks to the new technology.

Cybersecurity is growing more crucial in an increasingly linked world to secure not only the individual but also, for instance, governmental infrastructure and financial institutions.

Additionally, individuals attempting to protect information and hackers are always competing. Encryption is the most used method of information security. Information is thus digitally encrypted when we send emails, make online payments for bills, and shop online.

A random number generator, which can either be a computer code or the hardware itself, is used to encrypt data. The information at the receiving end is encrypted and decrypted using keys that are generated by the random number generator.

Various random number generators offer varying degrees of randomness and security. Hardware is a much safer choice because physical processes are in charge of regulating randomness. The hardware technique that produces the finest randomness, known as the Quantum Random Number Generator, or QRNG, is based on quantum processes.

“In cryptography, it’s not only important that the numbers are random, but that you’re the only one who knows about them. With QRNGs, we can certify that a large amount of the generated bits is private and thus completely secure. And if the laws of quantum physics are true, it should be impossible to eavesdrop without the recipient finding out,” says Guilherme B Xavier, a researcher at the Department of Electrical Engineering at Linköping University.

His research team along with researchers from the Department of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology has created a new kind of QRNG that can be used for encryption, betting, and computer simulations.

The usage of light-emitting diodes built of the crystal-like substance perovskite is a novel aspect of the QRNG developed by Linköping researchers.

Their random number generator is among the best made and performs admirably when compared to similar goods. It has the potential to be less expensive and more ecologically friendly because of the characteristics of perovskites.

Professor Feng Gao has been studying perovskites for more than ten years. He thinks there is a chance to revolutionise, for instance, optical instruments because of the recent invention of perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs).

“It’s possible to use, for example, a traditional laser for QRNG, but it’s expensive. If the technology is eventually to find its way into consumer electronics, it’s important that the cost is kept down and that the production is as environmentally friendly as possible. In addition, PeLEDs don’t require as much energy to run,” said Feng Gao.

“It’s an advantage if electronic components that are to be used for sensitive data are manufactured in Sweden. If you buy a complete randomness generator kit from another country, you can’t be sure that it’s not being monitored.”