Unclonable Security for Photonic Communication Systems

At a Glance

Researchers at Colorado State University have developed an advanced silicon photonic device for generating unique, unclonable identifiers. This innovation leverages fabrication-process variation of Contra-Directional Couplers (CDCs) and perforated Microring Resonators (MRRs) to enhance device and system security. The technology is designed to resist physical tampering and machine-learning-based attacks, ensuring robust authentication. It offers scalable, cost-effective solutions for securing optical communication networks and systems.

Background

Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) are essential for securing devices at the hardware level, especially in optical networks where electronic systems introduce vulnerabilities. Leveraging the inherent physical characteristics of a device to generate unique secret keys eliminates the need for power-consuming memory and complex encryption algorithms. Unlike conventional security methods, photonic PUFs harness manufacturing variations to create unique, hard-to-replicate identifiers. This innovation integrates PUFs directly into photonic systems, addressing the limitations of prior bulky and less secure approaches.

Overview

This invention combines CDCs and perforated MRRs to create photonic PUFs that generate unique responses based on inherent manufacturing variations. These structures are sensitive to fabrication-process differences, producing distinct identifiers resistant to replication or prediction. Experimental results demonstrated an inter-device Hamming distance (which can be interpreted as the probability of difference between one PUF and another) exceeding 0.4 with a standard deviation below 0.01, ensuring clear distinction between devices. The system was rigorously tested against machine-learning-based attacks, with no significant compromise of response integrity. The PUFs are compatible with standard CMOS processes, enabling seamless integration into optical systems for high-security applications like satellite communication and anti-counterfeiting.

Benefits

Unclonable Security: Unique responses based on manufacturing variations prevent replication
Robust Authentication: High resistance to machine learning-based attacks and tampering
Cost-Effective: CMOS-compatible design reduces manufacturing and integration costs
Scalable Design: Suitable for a wide range of photonic systems with minimal additional overhead

Applications

Secure optical communication networks
Anti-counterfeiting solutions for photonic devices
Authentication in satellite communication systems
High-security access control for critical infrastructure

Publications

Mahdian, et al. (2024) “Photonic physically unclonable Functions using ring-assisted contra-directional couplers.” 2024 Optical Fiber Communications Conference and Exhibition.

Mahdian, et al. (2024) “Hardware assurance with silicon photonic physical unclonable functions.” Scientific Reports.

Last Updated: February 2025

Inventors

MohammadAmin Mahdian
Mahdi Nikdast
Ebadollah Taheri
Kaveh Rahbardar Mojaver

Reference Number

2025-012

Licensing Manager

Aly Hoeher
Aly.Hoeher@colostate.edu
970-491-7100