A team of researchers from MIT has developed an innovative antitampering cryptographic ID tag, which is smaller, cheaper, and more secure than traditional radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. Traditional RFIDs can be detached from a genuine item and reattached on counterfeit products, compromising the authenticity of the item. As a solution, the MIT team creates an antitampering tag that leverages terahertz waves and integrates microscopic metal particles into the adhesive. These particles reflect terahertz waves in a unique pattern, similar to a fingerprint, which serves to authenticate the item.
Ruonan Han, an associate professor and leader of the Terahertz Integrated Electronics Group in the Research Laboratory of Electronics at MIT, clarifies that attempting to detach the tag ruins the unique reflective pattern, thus safeguarding the item from counterfeiters. The technology developed by the team results in a tiny, approximately 4 square millimeters, light-powered antitampering tag. A machine-learning aided model is also demonstrated, which identifies similar glue pattern fingerprints with over 99 percent accuracy.
The tag’s inexpensive production cost and small size make it a feasible solution for large-scale supply chain management, and it could be attached to items too small for traditional RFIDs. The research, which will be presented at the IEEE Solid State Circuits Conference, is a joint venture between Han’s group and the Energy-Efficient Circuits and Systems Group of Anantha P. Chandrakasan.
The antitampering tag comprises tiny slots that allow the terahertz waves to pass through and hit the microscopic metal particles in the glue. Once glued onto an item, the tag data is stored in the cloud for future verification.
However, the researchers came across a challenge in measuring the accuracy of matching glue patterns. They addressed this limitation by developing an AI-powered machine learning model that could compute the similarity between glue patterns with more than 99 percent accuracy. However, the system was limited by a small data sample, and the tag and sensor had to be closely located to provide accurate readings. The team aims to surpass these logistical obstacles in subsequent studies.
The study, backed by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies, aims to motivate other researchers to explore the potential of terahertz waves beyond traditional uses.
