Chinese Researchers Tap Quantum Noise to Generate Randomness at Record Rates
Quantum Uncertainty Breeds Randomness Slight fluctuations in the way photons are spontaneously spawned in lasers help researchers generate truly random strings of numbers. Jeff KeyzerThe random-number race is on There's a race brewing between Chinese and American researchers, but this one has no weapons or spheres of influence or even space -- though it does involve lasers. It's a race to generate the most random numbers the fastest, and by tapping the quantum noise in a laser beam the Chinese just took the lead, turning out 300 megabits of random numerals per second to break a U.S. record that stood for only a matter of days. Randomness can be confusing and often misleading, but it can also be extremely useful. Cryptographers seeking to generate unbreakable codes, for instance, love randomness. But while computer algorithms can spew out seemingly random strings of numbers with great enthusiasm, those numbers are still generated...