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Terahertz-readable laser engraved marks as a novel solution for product traceability.
Pouria Hoveida1, Adrian Phoulady1, Hongbin Choi1
1University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
Scientific Reports
|August 1, 2023
Summary
This study introduces a novel method for product authentication using laser-engraved physical tags, read by Terahertz spectroscopy. This approach offers a secure, unclonable, and cost-effective solution to combat counterfeit products.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Non-Destructive Testing
- Optical and Terahertz Spectroscopy
Background:
- Counterfeit products present significant economic, security, and health risks, necessitating robust product provenance and traceability solutions.
- Existing identification methods like barcodes and RFIDs are vulnerable to counterfeiting, while advanced techniques have limitations in cost, uniqueness, or readability.
- A universal traceability solution requires attributes such as low cost, uniqueness, immutability, ease of reading, standardization, and unclonability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the feasibility of using ultrashort pulsed lasers to create unique, unclonable, and immutable physical tags for product traceability.
- To assess the non-destructive reading capability of these laser-induced tags using far-field Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy.
- To evaluate the potential of this method as a universal solution for a wide range of traceability applications.
Main Methods:
- Creation of unique physical tags by engraving materials using ultrashort pulsed lasers.
- Non-destructive reading and analysis of the laser-engraved tags using far-field Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy.
- Evaluation of laser mark distinguishability based on varying depths, THz reading sensitivity to engraving parameters, information density, and subsurface tag capture.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated the ability to create unique and immutable physical tags using laser engraving.
- Confirmed the feasibility of nondestructively reading these tags with Terahertz spectroscopy.
- Assessed key parameters influencing the effectiveness and sensitivity of the proposed traceability method.
Conclusions:
- The proposed method utilizing laser-induced physical tags and THz spectroscopy shows significant potential as a secure and universal product traceability solution.
- This approach addresses the limitations of current identification technologies, offering a more robust defense against counterfeiting.
- Further investigation into optimizing laser parameters and THz reading is warranted to fully realize its application across diverse industries.
