An ultra-fast physical random number generator is demonstrated utilizing a photonic integrated device based broadband chaotic source with a simple post data processing method. The compact chaotic source is implemented by using a monolithic integrated dual-mode amplified feedback laser (AFL) with self-injection, where a robust chaotic signal with RF frequency coverage of above 50 GHz and flatness of ±3.6 dB is generated. By using 4-least significant bits (LSBs) retaining from the 8-bit digitization of the chaotic waveform, random sequences with a bit-rate up to 640 Gbit/s (160 GS/s × 4 bits) are realized. The generated random bits have passed each of the fifteen NIST statistics tests (NIST SP800-22), indicating its randomness for practical applications.

A solitary monolithic integrated semiconductor laser (MISL) chip with a size of 780 micrometer is designed and fabricated for broadband chaos generation. Such a MISL chip consists of a DFB section, a phase section and an amplification section. Test results indicate that under suitable operation conditions, this laser chip can be driven into broadband chaos. The generated chaos covers an RF frequency range, limited by our measurement device, of 26.5GHz, and possesses significant dimension and complexity. Moreover, the routes into and out of chaos are also characterized through extracting variety dynamical states of temporal waveforms, phase portraits, RF spectra and statistical indicators.

The dynamics of monolithically integrated amplified feedback lasers (AFL) is investigated through numerical simulation and experimental verification. The period-doubling route to chaos and high-frequency microwave generation are demonstrated through simulation. Then, we design and fabricate monolithically integrated AFLs. Mappings of dynamic states and oscillation frequency in the parameter space of phase section current I _P and amplifier section current I _A are depicted. For relative small I _A , the period doubling evolution to chaos is presented with the increase of I _P . For the relative large I _A , a high-frequency mode-beating (M-B) pulsation can be observed under suitable value of I _P . The oscillation frequency of period-one is about 10 GHz and the frequency of M-B pulsation is over 40 GHz for the device with a total length of 780 μm.

A tunable optical microwave generation scheme using self-injection locked monolithic dual-wavelength amplified feedback laser (AFL) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. By using a dual-loop feedback scheme, the 3-dB linewidth of the optical microwave output resulting from mode beating is reduced from MHz to kHz scale. Optical microwave generation tunable from 30 to 38 GHz with 3-dB linewidth below 2 kHz is experimentally demonstrated.

We experimentally demonstrate a compact, long-range, high-resolution chaotic correlation optical time-domain reflectometry based on a monolithic integrated chaotic laser (MICL). The MICL can directly generate a broadband chaotic signal covering a RF frequency range of over 40 GHz. Multi-reflection events can be precisely located in a detection range of $\sim 47\mathrm{km}$ with a range-independent resolution of 2.6 mm.

A widely tunable optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) based on a self-injection-locked monolithic dual-mode amplified feedback laser (DM-AFL) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. In the proposed OEO structure, the DM-AFL functions as an active tunable microwave photonic filter (MPF). By tuning the injection current applied on the amplifier section of the AFL, tunable microwave outputs ranging from 32 to 41 GHz and single sideband phase noises below $-97\mathrm{dBc}/\mathrm{Hz}$ at 10 kHz offset from the carriers were realized.