Quantum random number cloud platform

• Main Authors: Leilei Huang, Hongyi Zhou, Kai Feng, Chongjin Xie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nature Publishing Group 2021-07-01
• Series: npj Quantum Information
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41534-021-00442-x

Abstract Randomness lays the foundation for information security. Quantum random number generation based on various quantum principles has been proposed to provide true randomness in the last two decades. We integrate four different types of quantum random number generators on the Alibaba Cloud servers to enhance cybersecurity. Post-processing modules are integrated into the quantum platform to extract true random numbers. We employ improved authentication protocols where original pseudo-random numbers are replaced with quantum ones. Users from the Alibaba Cloud, such as Ant Financial and Smart Access Gateway, request random numbers from the quantum platform for various cryptographic tasks. For cloud services demanding the highest security, such as Alipay at Ant Financial, we combine the random numbers from four quantum devices by XOR the outputs to enhance practical security. The quantum platform has been continuously run for more than a year.