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  4. Random flip-flop: adding quantum randomness to digital circuits for improved cyber security, artificial intelligence and more
 
conference paper

Random flip-flop: adding quantum randomness to digital circuits for improved cyber security, artificial intelligence and more

Stipčević, Mario
•
Batelić, Mateja
•
Charbon, Edoardo  
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September 12, 2021
Proceedings of Emerging Imaging and Sensing Technologies for Security and Defence VI
Emerging Imaging and Sensing Technologies for Security and Defence VI

Harnessing quantum randomness for the generation of random numbers is an important concept crucial for information security and many other computer-related applications. Quantum random number generators (QRNGs) are evolving from bulky, slow, and expensive implementations towards chip-sized devices. Since computers are deterministic devices, and as such incapable of generating randomness, the prevailing modus operandi is that a QRNG is added to a computer, realizing what is known as "probabilistic Turing machine". State-of-the-art QRNGs use different hardware ports (USB, PCIe,...) and manufacturer-specific bit-transfer protocols, which limits their use by both hardware and software developers. In this work we propose an entirely different approach to use of randomness in a general digital environment (computers included), via a new, dedicated logic circuit: the random flip-flop (RFF), which is fully inter-operable with the standard logic circuits and can form an integral part of microprocessors, ultimately as an instruction-set extension. RFFs can be regarded as the missing link that closes the full set of logic elements; we show their use in digital and analog applications. We also build an RFF on a silicon chip using CMOS process. That, in principle, allows having any number of RFFs on a particular chip (e.g. microprocessor, FPGA, ASIC, ...), enabling both a very fast and massively parallel random number generation. Applications are endless, including recent trends in artificial intelligence, biomimetic stochastic computer and graphics processors. Integrated RFF does not need hardware ports nor bit-transfer protocols and allows an easy integration of randomness into higher programming languages.

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Type
conference paper
DOI
10.1117/12.2597842
Author(s)
Stipčević, Mario
Batelić, Mateja
Charbon, Edoardo  
Bruschini, Claudio  
Antolović, Michel I.  
Date Issued

2021-09-12

Publisher

SPIE

Published in
Proceedings of Emerging Imaging and Sensing Technologies for Security and Defence VI
Total of pages

11 p.

Series title/Series vol.

Proceedings of SPIE; 11868

Editorial or Peer reviewed

REVIEWED

Written at

EPFL

EPFL units
AQUA  
Event nameEvent placeEvent date
Emerging Imaging and Sensing Technologies for Security and Defence VI

[Online only]

September 13-24, 2021

Available on Infoscience
September 19, 2021
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/181500
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