QR — or quick response — codes are widely used for marketing, connecting customers to information online via a smartphone scan, for example. Barcodes and QR codes are also used to identify a computer chip. To protect data on a chip, researchers at the University of Connecticut (US) are proposing the integration of an optical mask with these codes and to encrypt information using quantum imaging. Thus, if pirates were to produce a counterfeit product using identical codes, they would also need access to these optical masks for authentication.
To optically encode an QR code, the scientists place a phase mask, potentially as simple as Scotch tape, on top of a QR code. “Using a laser, we can then illuminate the QR code, which will produce a unique pattern,” explains Dr Bahram Javidi, professor in the electrical and computer engineering department at Connecticut. “If there is no phase mask, a different pattern would be produced.” The mask scrambles the QR code design into a random mass of black-and-white pixels. The optically encoded QR code is verified through the optical mask’s signature via statistical analysis.
Eventually, this advanced 3D optical masking method combined with extremely low-light photon counting encryption could transform ordinary QR codes into a high-end cybersecurity application that would be extremely difficult to duplicate. The right key not only authenticates a chip but also reveals detailed information about that chip and its specifications.
Unlike commercial QR codes, Javidi’s advanced versions can be scaled as small as microns or a few millimeters and could replace the electronic part number that is currently stamped on most microchips.
“Our proposed method allows for a non-invasive approach to authenticating an object,” Javidi points out, adding that his team is currently unaware of any comparable security practices that involve placing an optical phase mask on a barcode or a QR code with the encrypted information.
Being able to simply scan an optically encoded QR code with a laser could become a cheap and quick way to authenticate an object. The light technology is also non-invasive and does not damage the product.
Although Javidi says the method does not prevent tampering of an object, it could make it easier for a company or manufacturer to identify a counterfeit product. Furthermore, the technique could find employment beyond QR codes, e.g., in medication and consumer goods.
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