Researchers at MIT have developed a new ID tag that leverages terahertz waves to offer a superior level of security compared to the traditional radio frequency tags (RFIDs), and at a significantly cheaper cost. This breakthrough was achieved by incorporating microscopic metal particles into the adhesive that binds the tag to a product. The terahertz waves can detect the unique pattern formed by these particles, creating a fingerprint-like identity for each tagged item.
The key to this innovation lies in the interaction between the terahertz waves and metallic particles. These particles function much like mirrors for the waves, creating a unique reflection that is stored as the item’s identification data. The researchers demonstrated a light-powered antitampering tag, roughly 4 square millimeters in diameter, with proof of the ability to identify tampering efforts with more than 99% accuracy.
This technology offers significant potential for supply chain security, due to the low manufacturing costs and small size of the tag. As a result, it could be attached to smaller items or medical devices that are not eligible for traditional RFID tagging.
The project is a collaboration between the Terahertz Integrated Electronics Group headed by Ruonan Han, an associate professor in EECS, and the Energy-Efficient Circuits and Systems Group led by Anantha P. Chandrakasan, MIT’s dean of the School of Engineering.
To tackle the challenge of identifying matching glue patterns, researchers developed a machine-learning model that increased the process’s accuracy to more than 99%. However, two drawbacks of the current design include the maximum distance of 4 centimeters between sensor and tag for accurate reading and signal degradation beyond an angle of 10 degrees between sensor and tag.
Despite current limitations, the team is optimistic about the potential of terahertz waves in product authentication and security, hoping to trigger more positive views about the capabilities of this spectrum. The research project has received support from the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies.
