Optical physical unclonable function

Many military and commercial systems require a unique digital identification for authentication, key derivation, and other purposes. Our approach uses an optical physical unclonable function (PUF) that can be implemented on printed circuit boards (PCB). Various environmental factors, such as physical stress, temperature, heat dissipation, and aging, affect the effectiveness of such a PUF. This paper will discuss our recent research in addressing these and other concerns by advancing in the areas of waveguide construction, system longevity, and PCB cooling. We will also discuss the enhanced capability of differentiating between intact and disturbed systems.