Safest random numbers generated

Researchers eye broad applications

A recent study by Chinese scientists for the first time revealed the safest random numbers in the world, which cannot be detected or hacked even by the most advanced computers and has a broad application in areas such as cryptography.

The results of the study were published on Nature, the international journal of science, on Thursday.

The project was jointly conducted by a team of top Chinese quantum physicist Pan Jianwei from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Shanghai Institute of Microsystems and Information Technology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Japan’s NTT Basic Research Laboratories and NTT Research Center for Theoretical Quantum Physics, according to a press release the USTC sent to the Global Times on Thursday.

The study is about device-independent quantum random number generation, which produces unpredictable genuine randomness without assumptions on the inner workings of devices, and is the ultimate goal in the field of quantum information science, according to project information published on Nature.

“The generator of device-independent quantum random numbers is the safest production device for random numbers, and the random numbers it generates cannot be detected even by the world’s most powerful quantum computer eavesdroppers have,” the press release said.

Many countries are also researching such generators and the US’ National Institute of Standards and Technology is attempting to use such a generator to establish a national standard on random numbers, according to the press release.

“There will be a random number leakage if we accidentally used the quantum random number generator produced by a malicious third party, and our new achievement ensures that even using the malicious third party provided generator, it could still produce genuine random numbers which could not be leaked,” Pan was quoted by the People’s Daily as saying on Thursday.

The random numbers have significant applications in both science and daily life in weather forecasting, research and development on medication and nuclear weapons and design of new materials, the press release said.

The random numbers could control the evolution of the system needed in artificial intelligence, and is also the safe foundation for communication security and modern cryptography.

Scientists from USTC will establish stable and high-speed device-independent quantum random number generators, and provide safe random numbers, and even help form a new international standard for random numbers, the People’s Daily reported Thursday.

Pan’s team has engaged in leading research in quantum science and technology.

In June, Pan’s team set a world record for entanglement of 18 quantum bits, keeping their lead in the field of quantum computing.