Fast random bits generation based on a single chaotic semiconductor ring laser

The use of the postprocessing method consisting of bitwise Exclusive-OR and least significant bits extraction to generate random bit sequences typically requires two distinct chaotic outputs. While the two signals are, in general, generated using two separated devices, e.g. two Fabry-Perot lasers, a single semiconductor ring laser can be used as an alternative due to its circular symmetry which facilitates lasing in two counterpropagating mode directions. We consider a chaotic semiconductor ring laser and investigate both numerically and experimentally its characteristics for fast random bit generation. In particular, we show that by sampling each directional mode’s output signal using a 8-bit analog-digital converter and through Exclusive-OR operation applied to the two resulting signals (after throwing away 4 most significant bits), we can achieve fast random bit-streams with a bit rate 4 × 10 = 40 Gbit/s, passing the statistical randomness tests. To optimize the system performance, we also study the dependence of randomness on the main system parameters and on noise.