All-optical multilevel physical unclonable functions
Year: 2024
Authors: Nocentini S., Ruehrmair U., Barni M., Wiersma DS., Riboli F.
Autors Affiliation: Ist Nazl Ric Metrol, Turin, Italy; European Lab Nonlinear Spect, Sesto Fiorentino, Tuscany, Italy; TU Berlin, Elect Engn & Comp Sci Dept, Berlin, Germany; Univ Connecticut, Elect & Comp Engn ECE Dept, Storrs, CT 06250 USA; Univ Siena, Dipartimento Ingn Informaz & Sci Matemat, Siena, Italy; Univ Firenze, Dipartimento Fis, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; CNR, INO, Sesto Fiorentino, Tuscany, Italy.
Abstract: Disordered photonic structures are promising for the realization of physical unclonable functions-physical objects that can overcome the limitations of conventional digital security and can enable cryptographic protocols immune against attacks by future quantum computers. The physical configuration of traditional physical unclonable functions is either fixed or can only be permanently modified, allowing one token per device and limiting their practicality. Here we overcome this limitation by creating reconfigurable structures made by light-transformable polymers in which the physical structure of the unclonable function can be reconfigured reversibly. Our approach allows the simultaneous coexistence of multiple physical unclonable functions within one device. The physical transformation is done all-optically in a reversible and spatially controlled fashion, allowing the generation of more complex keys. At the same time, as a set of switchable individual physical unclonable functions, it enables the authentication of multiple clients and allows for the practical implementations of quantum secure authentication and nonlinear generators of cryptographic keys. Employing light-transformable polymers, multiple physical unclonable functions are demonstrated within a single device with all-optical reversible reconfigurability. Such devices may enable quantum secure authentication and nonlinear cryptographic key generation applications.
Journal/Review: NATURE MATERIALS
More Information: The research leading to these results has received funding from AFOSR/RTA2 (A.2.e. Information Assurance and Cybersecurity) project ’Highly Secure Nonlinear Optical PUFs’ (FA9550-21-1-0039) awarded to U.R., Ente Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze (2018/1047) awarded to F.R. and Fondo premiale FOE project ’Volume photography: me asuring three-dimensional light distributions without opening the box’ (E17G17000300001). This work was partially supported by project SERICS (PE00000014) under the MUR National Recovery and Resilience Plan funded by the European Union-NextGenerationEU and co-funded by the European Union-NextGenerationEU, ’Integrated infrastructure initiative in Photonic and Quantum Sciences’-I-PHOQS (IR0000016, ID D2B8D520, CUP B53C22001750006). We thank H. Cao, Y. Eliezer, G.E. Lio, M. Lachner, N. Wisiol and A. Baliuka for feedback on the data within the AFOSR project. We thank D. Martella for discussions on chemistry and P. Pinkse for his inputs on the quantum secure authentication protocols.KeyWords: Authentication; FilmDOI: 10.1038/s41563-023-01734-7Citations: 2data from “WEB OF SCIENCE” (of Thomson Reuters) are update at: 2024-09-15References taken from IsiWeb of Knowledge: (subscribers only)
