Abstract: A method for physical random number generation includes the steps of: modulating the gain of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser periodically from the lower threshold to the upper threshold and back; maintaining the gain per round trip positive for a longer period than the round trip time of the cavity; maintaining the net gain per round trip negative for a longer period than the round trip time of the cavity, in order to create optical pulses of random amplitude; detecting the optical pulses; converting the optical pulses into electrical analog pulses; and digitising the electrical analog pulses into random numbers.

Abstract: A method is provided for that includes representing a random number and a threshold as a sequence of bits and comparing the sequence of bits representing the random number with the sequence of bits representing the threshold on a bit-wise basis. The most significant bit of the sequence of bits representing the random number is compared with the most significant sequence of bits representing the threshold. If the bits are not equal, deciding that the random number is larger or smaller than the threshold. If the bits are equal, comparing the immediately following bit in the sequence of bits representing the random number with the immediately following bit in the sequence of bits representing the threshold, and repeating this until the bit of the random number does not equal that of the threshold is reached or until all bits have been compared and found to be equal.

Abstract: A method for physical random number generation includes the steps of: modulating the gain of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser periodically from the lower threshold to the upper threshold and back; maintaining the gain per round trip positive for a longer period than the round trip time of the cavity; maintaining the net gain per round trip negative for a longer period than the round trip time of the cavity, in order to create optical pulses of random amplitude; detecting the optical pulses; converting the optical pulses into electrical analog pulses; and digitising the electrical analog pulses into random numbers.