| PROJECT: | Portable Readout Quantum Physical Unclonable Functions using Luminescent Materials for Authentication | |||||
| ACRONYM: | QuantumPUF | |||||
| MAIN OBJECTIVE: | Emerging threats from quantum computing and increasingly sophisticated counterfeiting demand a new class of
authentication technologies rooted in the laws of physics. QuantumPUF will develop scalable Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) with security guarantees based on quantum and statistical physical principles. We will design and implement three classes of photonic PUFs: (i) classical PUFs, (ii) quantum-readout PUFs, and (iii) quantum PUFs (Q-PUFs), the latter modeled as quantum channels (completely positive trace-preserving maps). These systems will be realized using two complementary luminescent platforms—layered organic–inorganic hybrid nanoparticles and lanthanide-based coordination complexes—engineered for spectral purity, high quantum yield, and environmental stability. QuantumPUF will exploit emission lifetime, spectral signatures, and spatial disorder to encode challenge-response pairs in multiple physical dimensions (spectral, spatial, temporal). Control of photon flux compatible with quantum-limited detection will enable secure optical readout using CMOS sensors. PUFs will be fabricated via scalable techniques such as spin-coating, inkjet printing, and electrospinning, incorporating stochastic disorder through material microstructure and processing variability. Security will be ensured through theoretical and experimental analysis, including min-entropy evaluation, side-channel vulnerability assessment, and the adaptation of device-independent quantum cryptographic certification protocols. For QPUFs, we will extend self-testing tools to quantum channels under minimal assumptions. For the most practical solutions, readout will be achieved using portable optical setups integrated into smartphones. QuantumPUF aims to define a unified quantum-secure authentication framework, combining novel photonic materials with foundational cryptographic tools, to establish a new technological and scientific frontier in physical security. |
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| Reference: | 101258015 | |||||
| Funding: | EU/Horizon Europe | |||||
| Approval Date: | 01-09-2026 | |||||
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| Team: | Paulo Sérgio de Brito André, Ana Rita da Naia Bastos, Emmanuel Zambrini Cruzeiro, Paulo Alexandre Carreira Mateus, Ana Carolina Simões Matos Saraiva Ayash | |||||
| Groups: |
Physics of Information and Quantum Technologies - Lx Security and Quantum Information - Lx |
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| Partners: | universidade de Aveiro, HUMBOLDT-UNIVERSITAET ZU BERLIN, UNIVERSIDAD DE VIGO, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION SERVICES DOO ZA USLUGE, PROPOSTA FIGURADA, UNIPESSOAL LD, UNIVERSITE DE GENEVE | |||||
| Local Coordinator: | Paulo Sérgio de Brito André |
This project falls under the following United Nations Strategic Development Goals (SDGs):
No publications associated with this project.