Generating Truly Random Numbers with Quantum Optics

Random numbers are used in several important technologies including cryptography and numerical simulation. However, large sequences of truly random numbers are notoriously difficult to generate – and correlations lurking within sequences can have dire consequences.

Quantum systems are inherently random, so they offer a way to generate random numbers. In this episode of the Physics World Weekly podcast, our guest is Ramy Shelbaya who is who is chief executive officer of Quantum Dice – a UK-based start-up that uses quantum optics to generate random numbers.

He explains how the company’s technology creates sequences of random numbers at high speed, and why Quantum Dice is currently miniaturizing its technology so it can be deployed in mobile phones.