Time-dependent physical unclonable functions by long-lived triplet excitons in carbon dots

Yan-Wei Hu; Qing Cao; Shi-Yu Song; Yuan Sun; Ya-Chuan Liang; Wen-Bo Zhao; Chao-Fan Lv; Chong-Xin Shan; Kai-Kai Liu

doi:10.1038/s41377-025-01940-9

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Time-dependent physical unclonable functions by long-lived triplet excitons in carbon dots

Original Articles

- Time-dependent physical unclonable functions by long-lived triplet excitons in carbon dots
- Time-dependent physical unclonable functions by long-lived triplet excitons in carbon dots
- Light: Science & Applications 2025年14卷第10期页码：3022-3034
- Affiliations：
  
  1.Henan Key Laboratory of Diamond Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, School of Physics and Laboratory of Zhongyuan Light, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
  2.School of Electronics and Information, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, Zhengzhou, China
  3.Institute of Quantum Materials and Physics Henan Academy of Sciences, Zhengzhou 450046, China
- Author bio：
  
  Chong-Xin Shan (cxshan@zzu.edu.cn)
  Kai-Kai Liu (liukaikai@zzu.edu.cn)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1038/s41377-025-01940-9
  中图分类号：
- 收稿：2025-02-13，
  
  修回：2025-05-30，
  
  录用：2025-06-26，
  
  网络出版：2025-08-20，
  
  纸质出版：2025-10-31
- Accepted：
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Yan-Wei Hu, Qing Cao, Shi-Yu Song, 等. Time-dependent physical unclonable functions by long-lived triplet excitons in carbon dots[J]. Light: Science & Applications, 2025,14(10):3022-3034.

Hu, Y. W. et al. Time-dependent physical unclonable functions by long-lived triplet excitons in carbon dots. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 3022-3034 (2025).
Yan-Wei Hu, Qing Cao, Shi-Yu Song, 等. Time-dependent physical unclonable functions by long-lived triplet excitons in carbon dots[J]. Light: Science & Applications, 2025,14(10):3022-3034. DOI： 10.1038/s41377-025-01940-9.

Hu, Y. W. et al. Time-dependent physical unclonable functions by long-lived triplet excitons in carbon dots. Light: Science & Applications, 14, 3022-3034 (2025). DOI： 10.1038/s41377-025-01940-9.

摘要

Abstract

Physical unclonable functions (PUFs)

relying extensively on the random spatial distribution of block elements

are promising technology for generating unclonable cryptograph. Herein

we demonstrate time-dependent PUFs (TD-PUFs) by introducing carbon dots (CDs) with bright and long-lived triplet excitons as block elements. The constructed TD-PUFs evolve into multiple unclonable PUFs over time

effectively breaking the spatial limitation of transitional PUFs and increasing the complexity

making them much more difficult to be attacked. This temporal evolution introduces an additional layer of security

as the dynamic nature of TD-PUFs makes it increasingly c

hallenging for adversaries to predict or replicate their states. We have developed pixel matrix function (PMF) to describe the evolution process of the TD-PUFs

enabling a detailed analysis of the dynamic behavior and unique security features. In addition

we exhibit a TD-PUFs painting (30 × 40 cm

) by an etching technology where the primary structures of the panting undergo a transformation over time

driven by the varying triplet exciton lifetimes of the CDs. The proposed concept of TD-PUFs overcome their spatial limitations and increase the complexity

making the PUF labels more difficulty to be cracked.

关键词

Keywords

references

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