Reconfigurable Liquid Crystal-Based Physical Unclonable Function Integrating Optical and Electrical Responses

Physical unclonable functions (PUFs)-a hardware-based security device using randomness-have evolved from basic integrated circuit designs to advanced systems using diverse materials and mechanisms. However, most PUFs are limited by single-factor challenges and fixed key generation, making them vulnerable to brute-force attacks. A reconfigurable and multidimensional liquid crystal (LC)-based PUF is presented integrated into an organic field-effect transistor (OFET) to address limitations. This system combines optical and electrical PUFs through unique optical fingerprint textures and random molecular alignment of the semiconductive smectic LC material. The PUF can be reconfigured by a simple heating and cooling process, overcoming the limitations of fixed-structure PUFs. Furthermore, this approach enhances security by enabling hierarchical authentication due to the multi-response factors, providing robust solutions for anticounterfeiting and cryptographic applications.