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US 11,889,001 B2Granted
Optical interferometric-based physically unclonable function device
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorA. Matthew Smith
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Abstract
An apparatus for implementing a physically unclonable function via a network of interferometers implemented as a reconfigurable integrated optical circuit. The uncontrollable and non repeating fabrication variation in the manufacturing processes of integrated optics, combined with the sensitivity of interferometers creates inherently unique devices that can be used as reprogrammable physically unclonable function.
Claims12
A physically unclonable function device, comprising:
- a plurality of columns each having integer (n+1) number of optical interferometers, where n for a first column has a value of 0 and where the value of n is incremented by 1 for each successive column after the first column;
- each optical interferometer having a first and a second input waveguide and a first and a second output waveguide;
- wherein the first output waveguide of an optical interferometer in a preceding column is connected to the second input waveguide of an optical interferometer in a subsequent column, and
- wherein the second output waveguide of said optical interferometer in said preceding column is connected to the first input waveguide of said optical interferometer in said subsequent column;
- a plurality of unclonable function device outputs comprising the first and the second output waveguides of each optical interferometer in a last column of said plurality of columns;
- and
- a plurality of unclonable function device inputs comprising a combination of the first and the second input waveguides of at least one optical interferometer in each of said plurality of columns.
4 more elements
A physically unclonable function device, comprising:
- an array of optical interferometers having inputs for light entering thereinto and outputs for light exiting therefrom;
- an arrangement of successive columns of said optical interferometers wherein each successive column comprises one additional interferometer relative to the immediately preceding column;
- light paths exiting any optical interferometer in a preceding column into two optical interferometers in the immediately succeeding column;
- light paths exiting optical interferometers comprising the last column of optical interferometers being connected to the outputs of said array;
- light paths entering the first column of optical interferometers being connected to the inputs of said array;
- and
- wherein tuning any of said optical interferometers controls the presence of light that is output from said array.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.