Voxelated opto-physically unclonable functions using irreplicable micro-wrinkles

The proliferation of the Internet of Things and the integration of digital technology into our daily routines have led to increased security concerns and the necessity for stronger security measures. To address these challenges, physical unclonable functions (PUFs) have emerged as promising solutions, offering a highly secure method to generate unpredictable and unique random digital values by exploiting inherent physical characteristics. However, traditional implementations of PUFs often entail complex hardware and circuitry, contributing to the system's cost and complexity. We propose a novel approach employing a random wrinkles PUF based on an optically anisotropic, simple, and cost-effective material. These wrinkles consist of randomly oriented liquid crystal molecules, resulting in a two-dimensional retardation map corresponding to a complex birefringence pattern. Additionally, our proposed technique allows for customization based on specific requirements using a spatial light modulator, enabling rapid fabrication. The random wrinkles PUF can store multiple data sets within a single PUF without requiring physical alterations. Moreover, we introduce the concept of polyhedron authentication, utilizing three-dimensional information storage in a voxelated random wrinkles PUF. This approach showcases the feasibility of implementing high-level security technology by harnessing the unique properties of the random wrinkles PUF.