Developing the first Space-suitable Quantum Random Number Generator

量子技术可以通过基于卫星的量子密钥分发(QKD)实现高度安全的通信，该密钥分发利用了英国在微型卫星方面的专业知识。空间方法缓解了目前地面量子密钥分发网络的局限性：与微型卫星相比，基础设施的价格相对较高，以及地面量子密钥分发网络基于光纤的网络对覆盖范围的限制。我们对这个项目的愿景是开发(卫星)量子随机数发生器(QRNG)所需的关键部件--适合空间的高速率量子随机数发生器。该项目的关键目标是开发和测试一个紧凑、轻量级和低功耗的QRNG包，该包能够以足够高的比特率提供可靠的安全随机数，供至少400 Mbps的卫星QKD开发者使用。主要的重点领域是对这样的QRNG装置进行环境测试，以确保QRNG足够坚固，能够承受空间环境的极端恶劣。这将通过利用现代集成光子学和集成电子学方法来实现，以生产可部署的QRNG子系统，该子系统可以开始满足市场对适合空间的熵源日益增长的需求。该项目背后的创新包括两个部分。首先，量子骰子正在开发一种创新的方法，从牛津大学开发的量子过程中生成安全和高速率的随机数。这一创新基于一种新开发的受专利保护的协议，称为源-设备独立自我认证(DISC)，该协议允许将量子熵蒸馏成经过验证的随机数，同时还考虑到硬件源中的内部经典噪声源。后一种经典噪声会危及输出的安全性，并且事实上已被报告为当前使用的随机数生成器中许多安全故障的根本原因。第二，展望技术公司进行的一系列空间环境测试的结果将是一项创新研究，这对QRNG的质量至关重要，以便在空间QKD示范飞行任务中部署，之后QRNG将获得空间遗产，从而获得空间资格，这通常是一个既昂贵又耗时的过程。

Quantum technology can enable highly-secure communications through satellite-based Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) which exploits UK expertise in miniature satellites. The space approach mitigates current limitations of terrestrial QKD networks: the relatively high price-tag of infrastructure as compared to miniature satellites, and restrictions on range resulting from terrestrial QKD's fibre-based networks. Our vision for this project is to develop a crucial component required for (satellite-)QKD, a space-suitable and high-rate Quantum Random Number Generator (QRNG). The focus of such R&D will be novel globally.This project's key objective is to develop and test a compact, lightweight and low-power consuming QRNG package that can provide reliably secure random numbers at a high enough bitrate for by satellite-QKD developers of at least 400Mbps. The main area of focus is on the environmental testing of such a QRNG device, to ensure that the QRNG is robust enough to withstand the extreme harshness of the space environment. This will be accomplished by leveraging modern integrated photonics and integrated electronics methods to produce a deployable QRNG subsystem that can begin addressing the growing market need for space-suitable sources of entropy.The innovation behind this project is in two parts. First, Quantum Dice is developing an innovative way of generating secure and high rates of random numbers from a quantum process, which was developed at the University of Oxford. This innovation is based on a newly developed and patent-protected protocol called source-device independent self-certification (DISC) which allows for the distillation of quantum entropy into verified random numbers while also accounting for the sources of internal classical noise in the hardware source. The latter classical noise can compromise the security of the output and has in-fact been reported to be the root cause of many security failures in currently-used random number generators. Second, the results of the series of space-environmental testing done by Craft Prospect will be innovative research that is crucial to quality a QRNG for deployment in a space-QKD demonstration mission, after which the QRNG will gain space heritage and hence space-qualification, which is normally both a costly and time-consuming process.