Muon-Ra: Quantum random number generation from cosmic rays

摘要

True Random Number Generators (TRNGs) are the cornerstone of modern cryptographic applications. In this work, we present the first quantum¹ random number generator based on muon detection. The proposed implementation utilizes silicon photomultipliers and plastic scintillators to convert the time interval between crossing muons to random bits. Compared to the state-of-the-art, this design operates using a passive entropy source, scaling down its power consumption significantly. Additionally, the proposed muon-based TRNG can be fully integrated in modern computer hardware, making it suitable for low-power embedded device applications. We evaluate the proposal on its throughput and ability to pass standard randomness tests. Our method is successful in passing the NIST STS SP 800-22 and Dieharder evaluations. Finally, the implementation is compared to other well-established methods of generating random numbers.¹We use the term “quantum” to denote the utilization of elementary particles as the output generation source, and not necessarily their properties, similar to related work [1], [2].