Flexible Physical Unclonable Functions Based on Non-deterministically Distributed Dye-Doped Fibers and Droplets

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optics
• Security Engineering

Background:

• Anticounterfeiting is a significant challenge requiring innovative solutions.
• Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) offer a promising approach to creating unclonable security systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a new strategy for manufacturing flexible, free-standing films for anticounterfeiting labels.
• To embed multiple, distinct PUF keys within a single label using advanced material processing techniques.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing electrospinning and electrospraying techniques to process dye-doped polymeric materials.
• Fabricating flexible films that simultaneously embed different PUF keys.
• Developing a three-level encryption system for anticounterfeiting labels.

Main Results:

• Created labels with a unique map of fluorescent polymer droplets on a nanofiber yarn.
• Each label exhibits a characteristic fluorescence spectrum.
• Generated unique speckle patterns when illuminated with shaped laser light, enabling thousands of cryptographic keys.

Conclusions:

• The developed polymeric unclonable tags offer a practical, multi-level authentication solution.
• The simple and cost-effective fabrication process makes these tags suitable for everyday product protection.
• The intrinsic uniqueness and complexity encoded in the tags provide robust anticounterfeiting capabilities.