Traceable random numbers from a non-local quantum advantage

Gautam A. Kavuri (), Jasper Palfree, Dileep V. Reddy, Yanbao Zhang, Joshua C. Bienfang, Michael D. Mazurek, Mohammad A. Alhejji, Aliza U. Siddiqui, Joseph M. Cavanagh, Aagam Dalal, Carlos Abellán, Waldimar Amaya, Morgan W. Mitchell, Katherine E. Stange, Paul D. Beale, Luís T. A. N. Brandão, Harold Booth, René Peralta, Sae Woo Nam, Richard P. Mirin, Martin J. Stevens, Emanuel Knill and Lynden K. Shalm ()
Additional contact information
Gautam A. Kavuri: University of Colorado
Jasper Palfree: University of Colorado
Dileep V. Reddy: University of Colorado
Yanbao Zhang: Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Joshua C. Bienfang: National Institute of Standards and Technology and University of Maryland
Michael D. Mazurek: University of Colorado
Mohammad A. Alhejji: University of New Mexico
Aliza U. Siddiqui: University of Colorado
Joseph M. Cavanagh: National Institute of Standards and Technology
Aagam Dalal: National Institute of Standards and Technology
Carlos Abellán: Quside Technologies
Waldimar Amaya: Quside Technologies
Morgan W. Mitchell: The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology
Katherine E. Stange: University of Colorado
Paul D. Beale: University of Colorado
Luís T. A. N. Brandão: Strativia (NIST Cryptographic Technology Group)
Harold Booth: National Institute of Standards and Technology
René Peralta: National Institute of Standards and Technology
Sae Woo Nam: University of Colorado
Richard P. Mirin: National Institute of Standards and Technology
Martin J. Stevens: National Institute of Standards and Technology
Emanuel Knill: University of Colorado
Lynden K. Shalm: University of Colorado

Nature, 2025, vol. 642, issue 8069, 916-921

Abstract: Abstract The unpredictability of random numbers is fundamental to both digital security1,2 and applications that fairly distribute resources3,4. However, existing random number generators have limitations—the generation processes cannot be fully traced, audited and certified to be unpredictable. The algorithmic steps used in pseudorandom number generators5 are auditable, but they cannot guarantee that their outputs were a priori unpredictable given knowledge of the initial seed. Device-independent quantum random number generators6–9 can ensure that the source of randomness was unknown beforehand, but the steps used to extract the randomness are vulnerable to tampering. Here we demonstrate a fully traceable random number generation protocol based on device-independent techniques. Our protocol extracts randomness from unpredictable non-local quantum correlations, and uses distributed intertwined hash chains to cryptographically trace and verify the extraction process. This protocol forms the basis for a public traceable and certifiable quantum randomness beacon that we have launched10. Over the first 40 days of operation, we completed the protocol 7,434 out of 7,454 attempts—a success rate of 99.7%. Each time the protocol succeeded, the beacon emitted a pulse of 512 bits of traceable randomness. The bits are certified to be uniform with error multiplied by actual success probability bounded by 2−64. The generation of certifiable and traceable randomness represents a public service that operates with an entanglement-derived advantage over comparable classical approaches.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-09054-3

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