Quantum vs. noncontextual semi-device-independent randomness certification

Abstract

We compare the power of quantum and classical physics in terms of randomness certification from devices which are only partially characterised. We study randomness certification based on state discrimination and take noncontextuality as the notion of classicality. A contextual advantage was recently shown to exist for state discrimination. Here, we develop quantum and noncontextual semi-device independent protocols for random-number generation based on maximum-confidence discrimination, which generalises unambiguous and minimum-error state discrimination. We show that, for quantum eavesdropppers, quantum devices can certify more randomness than noncontextual ones whenever none of the input states are unambiguously identified. That is, a quantum-over-classicaladvantage exists.