| 摘要 |
<p>In an apparatus and methods of random number generation, a detector (60) receives a plurality of groups of n light pulses (50), which an attenuator (40) typically dims to single-photon intensity levels. Each of the n light pulses has a probability less than one to produce a successful detection event at its time of arrival at the detector, but the detector detects only one of the n pulses per group. This single detection per group is thus a discrete random event. This detection even can occur only during one of n fixed timeslots during which a pulse may arrive at the detector. The method of the invention converts the random event at one of n timeslots into a random integer from 1 to n. The expected arrival time of the first pulse of the group becomes a timing reference with which to start a timer (90) and define the timeslots electronically. When the detector electronics (70) output an electronic signal (80) at the time of a successful detection event, the apparatus of the invention's preferred embodiment stops the timer and matches that detection time with one of the n timeslots. This match produces the random integer from 1 to n. The methods of the invention help to overcome the problem of long dead times that can affect the detectors used for a preferred embodiment of the apparatus. The methods of the invention using the preferred embodiment of the apparatus also help to reduce the effects of dark counts in such detectors.</p> |
