Design of a compact QRNG in 22nm standard CMOS technology

In this work we present a quantum random number generator (QRNG) based on Single-Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPADs) implemented in 22-nm CMOS technology. A new approach for quantum random number generation is presented, based on the median estimation of the times between pulses defined by endogenous generation processes. The proposed methodology allows for a random number generation efficiency near to one, as well as randomly generated strings of bits that pass common randomness tests without the need for post-processing. Thanks to the use of standard CMOS technology for both the detection and the logic, our QRNG is suitable for a highly scalable solution.