Scalable parallel physical random number generator based on a superluminescent LED

Abstract

We describe an optoelectronic system for simultaneously generating parallel, independent streams of random bits using spectrally separated noise signals obtained from a single optical source. Using a pair of non-overlapping spectral filters and a fiber-coupled superluminescent light-emitting diode (SLED), we produced two independent 10 Gb/s random bit streams, for a cumulative generation rate of 20 Gb/s. The system relies principally on chip-based optoelectronic components that could be integrated in a compact, economical package.