Reconfigurable Electromagnetically Unclonable Functions Based on Graphene Radio-Frequency Modulators

Area of Science:

• Hardware Security
• Cybersecurity
• Materials Science

Background:

• The Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly expanding, increasing the need for robust security measures against cyber threats.
• Traditional digital security methods face challenges with the vast number of connected devices and data volumes.
• Safeguarding classified information in modern networked systems is a critical concern.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a lightweight and robust hardware security primitive for wireless device authentication.
• To develop a novel electromagnetic physical unclonable function (PUF) for generating unique cryptographic keys.
• To enhance the security and resilience of IoT devices against cyberattacks.

Main Methods:

• Utilized graphene-based harmonic transponders integrated with ambipolar graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs).
• Generated unique electromagnetic fingerprints by exploiting inherent variations in GFET electronic properties to modulate radio frequency (RF) signals.
• Investigated the reconfiguration of PUF keys via RF excitation frequency alteration and electrostatic gating.

Main Results:

• The electromagnetic PUF demonstrated excellent performance metrics, including randomness, uniqueness, and reliability.
• The system showed significant resistance to machine learning-based modeling attacks.
• Reconfigurable PUF keys were achieved, enhancing security against adversarial modeling.

Conclusions:

• The proposed electromagnetic PUF offers a promising solution for secure cryptographic key generation in wireless devices.
• This technology is well-suited for various applications including authentication, encryption, and anticounterfeiting in IoT ecosystems.
• The graphene-based PUF provides a robust and adaptable hardware security primitive.