Multiplex Optical Unclonable Functions: Advances and Perspectives in Optics and Photonics for Hardware Security

Area of Science:

• Cyber-physical security
• Nanotechnology
• Photonics

Background:

• The increasing expansion of connectivity necessitates advanced cyber-physical security solutions.
• Physically unclonable functions (PUFs) are emerging as hardware security solutions beyond software-based methods.
• Optical and photonics-based PUFs (optical PUFs) offer unique properties for multiplexing strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advances in multiplex optical PUFs.
• To highlight progress in materials, detection, authentication, imaging, reconfigurability, and unclonability for next-generation PUFs.
• To discuss limitations and potential strategies for real-world deployment of multiplex optical PUFs.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent literature on optical PUFs.
• Analysis of multiplexing strategies (multilevel and multimodal).
• Discussion of emerging technologies and their integration into optical PUFs.

Main Results:

• Optical PUFs leverage fundamental optical and photonic properties for multiplexing.
• Advancements in materials, detection, authentication, imaging, reconfigurability, and unclonability are crucial.
• Multiplex optical PUFs offer enhanced security for hyperconnected environments.

Conclusions:

• Multiplex optical PUFs represent a promising direction for next-generation hardware security.
• Addressing current limitations is key to facilitating real-world applications.
• Optical PUFs are vital for securing our increasingly hyperconnected society.