Blog: Random, But Not By Accident: Quantum Mechanics and Data Encryption

Random, But Not By Accident: Quantum Mechanics and Data Encryption
UM Newsdesk (04/13/10) Tune, Lee

Researchers at the University of Maryland's Joint Quantum Institute (JQI), working with European quantum information scientists, have demonstrated a method of producing certifiably random strings of numbers based on the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics. The technique is based on the work of physicist John Bell, who studied a condition called entanglement, in which matter particles become so interdependent that if a measurement is performed to determine a property of one, which will be a random value, the corresponding property of the other is instantly determined as well. Bell showed mathematically that if the objects were not entangled, their correlations would have to be smaller than a certain value, expressed as an "inequality." However, if they were entangled, their correlations could be higher, violating the inequality. The JQI test was the first to violate a Bell inequality between systems separated over a distance without missing any of the events. "If we verify a Bell inequality violation between isolated systems while not missing events, we can ensure that our device produces private randomness," says JQI's Dzmitry Matsukevich.

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