NEWS
29th International exhibition for the packaging industry
Our team member, Pavel Kustov took part in 29th International exhibition for the packaging industry, the largest packaging industry exhibition in Russia and Eastern Europe. Pavel was impressed by the scale and energy of RosUpack 2024! So many interesting acquaintances, productive meetings and innovative solutions in the field of packaging. Special thanks to the organizers for the high level of the event!
The Microelectronics 2024 forum
At the end of September, the Microelectronics 2024 forum brought together leading experts and innovators from all over the world. Our group member, Pavel Kustov, took part in it. This event became a real showcase of achievements and prospects in the field of microelectronics for us, leaving us impressed by its scope and energy!
Special thanks to the organizers for the high standard of the event! Thanks to their efforts, the forum has become a place where ideas turn into real projects, and cooperation leads to new achievements.
Special thanks to the organizers for the high standard of the event! Thanks to their efforts, the forum has become a place where ideas turn into real projects, and cooperation leads to new achievements.
31st international conference Advanced Laser Technologies
Dmitry Zuev was an invited speaker at the 31st international conference Advanced Laser Technologies (ALT 2024) that took place in Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), Vladivostok, on 23-27 September 2024. The conference brought together reports devoted to fundamental and applied aspects of innovative laser technologies. Dmotry's speech was dedicated to hybrid metal-dielectric nanostructures: fundamentals, applications and perspectives.
The conference provided a favourable atmosphere for fruitful discussions, knowledge exchange, and networking opportunities.
The conference provided a favourable atmosphere for fruitful discussions, knowledge exchange, and networking opportunities.
SPIE/COS Photonics Asia
Our group member, Xinyi Zhu, took part in the SPIE/COS Photonics Asia on October 12-14, 2024. It's an international forum for new developments in advanced optics and photonics technologies, aiming to showcase showcase for the latest research in biomedical optics, advanced optical imaging, quantum and nonlinear optics, laser processing, plasmonics, holography, and more.
During the event, we were deeply impressed by the efforts of wonderful speeches and presentations. Thanks for the inspiration from different academic perspectives and the sharing of interesting research!
During the event, we were deeply impressed by the efforts of wonderful speeches and presentations. Thanks for the inspiration from different academic perspectives and the sharing of interesting research!
21st International Conference on Holography and Applied Optical Technologies "Holoexpo"
On September 9-13, 2024, the 21st International Conference on Holography and Applied Optical Technologies "Holoexpo" was held in Kazan, where Eduard Ageyev presented a report "Laser micro and nanofabrication - from hybrid materials to security marks". Within the framework of the section "Micro- and Nanostructuring Technologies" the main attention was paid to the study of the effect of laser radiation on materials and the change in the properties of materials and surfaces after laser exposure. Most of the reports were from young specialists and scientists.
The first two days of the conference scientific program were opened by plenary sessions "Trends in the development of optical technologies", where leading scientists of the industry spoke. The following companies were represented in the demo zone: "Azimut Photonics", "Active Photonics", Center for Photonics and Photonic Technologies (Skoltech), "Special Systems. Photonics", "James River Brunch", "Inscience", "Company Slavich", "Research Institute "Girikond", "LLS".
The first two days of the conference scientific program were opened by plenary sessions "Trends in the development of optical technologies", where leading scientists of the industry spoke. The following companies were represented in the demo zone: "Azimut Photonics", "Active Photonics", Center for Photonics and Photonic Technologies (Skoltech), "Special Systems. Photonics", "James River Brunch", "Inscience", "Company Slavich", "Research Institute "Girikond", "LLS".
METANANO school on nanophotonics and applied materials
Our group members, Ekaterina Ponkratova, Artem Larin Elena Petrova, and Martin Sandomirskii took part in the METANANO school on nanophotonics and applied materials on October 13-26, 2024 in Qingdao, China, and participated in the poster session.
Martin Sandomirskii received the best poster award for his work "Hybrid Gold-Silicon Sub-Microsponges: Laser Fabrication and Characterization"
Martin Sandomirskii received the best poster award for his work "Hybrid Gold-Silicon Sub-Microsponges: Laser Fabrication and Characterization"
School of Biophotonics
Dmitry Zuev and the Faculty of Physics ITMO organized the School of Biophotonics that took plave on November 11-13, 2024.
The goal of the School was to provide a platform for exchanging knowledge, ideas, and the latest scientific discoveries in various fields of biophotonics, including biosensing, delivery of biologically active compounds into cells, photothermal and photodynamic therapy, materials for biological applications, and the interaction of light with biological objects.
Participants had a great opportunity for exchanging knowledge, ideas, and the latest scientific discoveries in various fields of biophotonics.
The goal of the School was to provide a platform for exchanging knowledge, ideas, and the latest scientific discoveries in various fields of biophotonics, including biosensing, delivery of biologically active compounds into cells, photothermal and photodynamic therapy, materials for biological applications, and the interaction of light with biological objects.
Participants had a great opportunity for exchanging knowledge, ideas, and the latest scientific discoveries in various fields of biophotonics.
Congratulations to Yali Sun on winning in the outstanding program
Our team congratulates Yali Sun on winning the "Overseas Outstanding Young Talents Program of China" in China (formerly known as the "Thousand Talents Program").
Dmitry Zuev and the Faculty of Physics ITMO organized the School of Biophotonics that took plave on November 11-13, 2024.
Our group members took part in the METANANO school in October 2024
Our group member, Xinyi Zhu, took part in the SPIE/COS Photonics Asia on October 12-14, 2024
On September 9-13, 2024, the 21st International Conference on Holography and Applied Optical Technologies "Holoexpo" was held in Kazan, where Eduard Ageev presented a report "Laser micro and nanofabrication - from hybrid materials to security marks".
Dmitry Zuev was an invited speaker at the 31st international conference Advanced Laser Technologies (ALT 2024) that took place in Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU), Vladivostok.
At the end of September, the Microelectronics 2024 forum brought together leading experts and innovators from all over the world.
Our team member, Pavel Kustov took part in 29th International exhibition for the packaging industry, the largest packaging industry exhibition in Russia and Eastern Europe.
Our team member Bogdan Bogdanov and ITMO team won 3 student Olympiad in physics in 2023-2024
School projects supervised by our group members participated in international conferences and won scientific prizes
In 2023-2024 we have organised several events for school children
Team leader Dmitry Zuev participated as invited speaker in PIERS conference in Chengdu, China
Members of our team presented the results of their research at national and international scientific conferences
Dmitry Zuev was an invited speaker at Harbin Engineering University at the international workshop
Our team member Artem Larin has successfully defended his PhD thesis
Two foreign PhD students - Chunyu Li and Xinyi Zhu - joined our group in 2023
The Unclonix project team took part in the international exhibition of technology startups Expand North Star
Our group has developed and is teaching an interdisciplinary course “Experimental Methods in Physics”
Students of our research group returned from the international conference IEEE-Nano in South Korea
Our team members developed unclonable anti-counterfeiting labels, which are based on silicon nanoparticles modified with a laser
Our team member Vitaly Yaroshenko has successfully defended his PhD thesis
On November 10, 2022 our colleagues and scientists from Kotelnikov Institute of Radioengineering and Electronics held a joint workshop.
In the fall of 2021, our team with CNR-Nanotec (Italy) won a grant from the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education and from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for the development of this technology.
Congratulations to our team member Yali Sun on her successful PhD defence
IEEE-Nano
Students of our research group returned from the international conference IEEE-Nano (July 2-5, Jeju Island, South Korea), where they successfully presented the results of their research. Participation in a conference of this level is a valuable experience for aspiring scientists and recognition of the high level of research carried out in the group.
The presented the following topics:
The presented the following topics:
- "Gold-Titanium Dioxide Developed Structures for Sensing and Photocatalysis"
- "Femtosecond Direct Laser Writing on Bi-Layer Gold-Silicon Films for Hidden Data Storage and Random Key Generation"
- "Laser-Induced Fabrication of Metal-Dielectric Nanoparticles and Their Applications"
- "Multiphoton Luminescence in Resonant Silicon Nanoparticles for Physically Unclonable Anticounterfeiting Labels"
Interdisciplinary course “Experimental Methods in Physics”
Our group has developed and is teaching an interdisciplinary course “Experimental Methods in Physics” for 25 Bachelor students in the educational program “Laser Photonics and Optoelectronics” of the Institute of Laser Technologies ITMO.
This course includes lectures based on frontier research in the field of nanophotonics, as well as laboratory work using high-tech equipment from ITMO University. Oor lecturers: Dmitry Zuev, Eduard Ageev, Vitaly Yaroshenko, Artem Larin. In addition, Pavel Kustov is studying in this educational course at the university program ITMO.Mentors.
This course includes lectures based on frontier research in the field of nanophotonics, as well as laboratory work using high-tech equipment from ITMO University. Oor lecturers: Dmitry Zuev, Eduard Ageev, Vitaly Yaroshenko, Artem Larin. In addition, Pavel Kustov is studying in this educational course at the university program ITMO.Mentors.
GITEX forum
The Unclonix project team took part in the international exhibition of technology startups Expand North Star (https://www.expandnorthstar.com/), which was held from October 15 to 18 in Dubai (UAE) as part of the world-famous annual GITEX forum. Participation in the exhibition provided an excellent opportunity to present Unclonix's developments to a wide range of investors and industry representatives, gain valuable experience and feedback from leading experts. The knowledge and contacts gained will undoubtedly become an important incentive for the further development of the project.
Two foreign PhD students joined our group in 2023
Two foreign PhD students - Chunyu Li and Xinyi Zhu - joined our group in 2023. Chunyu began research into green printing (problem of surface wettability control). Xinyi is responsible for the research of two-photon polymerization (Laser 3D additive manufacturing).
Master's student Danni Zhao joined the group as part of a one-year internship. Also, she won a Chinese Government Scholarship for postgraduate study at ITMO University under a contract and will join the group in the fall semester 2024.
Master's student Danni Zhao joined the group as part of a one-year internship. Also, she won a Chinese Government Scholarship for postgraduate study at ITMO University under a contract and will join the group in the fall semester 2024.
Congrats on successfil PhD defense!
Our team member Artem Larin has successfully defended his PhD thesis on the topic Photoluminescence and second-harmonic generation of silicon in metal-semiconductor nanosystems. Congratulations to Artem and good luck in the future work as a postdoc!
New grant with Harbin Engineering University (China)
As part of the international collaborations’ development and attracting foreign students, we received an ITMO-HEU pre-seed grant (2024-2026) on the topic “The role of metal-semiconductor contact in optical generation of static electric field in hybrid nanostructures for integrated optical chips”. Project leader is Dmitry Zuev.
Participation in the international workshop “Nanotechnology for optics and optoelectronics”
Dmitry Zuev was an invited speaker at Harbin Engineering University at the international workshop “Nanotechnology for optics and optoelectronics” from April 26 to April 29, 2024, where he spoke about “Hybrid Metal-dielectric Nanophotonics Structures” in order to attract foreigners to study and engage in science at the joint center in Qingdao (HEU-ITMO University).
Participation in the conferences
Members of our team presented the results of their scientific research at national and international scientific conferences:
- Our group leader Dmitry Zuev and postdoc Yali Sun participated in the ICMAT 2023 conference, Singapore;
- PhD student Ekaterina Ponkratova participated in the IEEE-NANO 2023 conference, Jeju, South Korea;
- Postdoc Vitaly Yaroshenko and PhD student Artem Larin participated in the Resonant Nanophotonics Educational Workshop 2023, Moscow, Russia;
- PhD student Artem Larin was an invited speaker at the VII International School of Young Scientists "Nonlinear Photonics", Novosibirsk, Russia;
- Postdoc Vitaly. Yaroshenko and PhD student Pavel Kustov participated in the conference The 17th International Congress on Artificial Materials for Novel Wave Phenomena (Metamaterials'2023)
- Vitaly Yaroshenko presentation with an invited report at the conference VKVO-2023, Perm, Russia;
- Dmitry Zuev participated with an invited report in the Neva Photonics - 2023 conference, St. Petersburg, Russia.
PIERS
Team leader Dmitry Zuev participated as invited speaker in PIERS conference in Chengdu, China, on April 21-25, 2024. He presented a topic “Hybrid Metal-dielectric Nanostructures: Optical Properties and Applications”. Participation in the conference is a great opportunity to share the scientific results and expand collaboration with international colleagues.
Events for school children
In 2023-2024 we have organised several events for school children:
- On February 27, 2024, our group organised an open seminar, where schoolchildren presented the results of their annual projects to members of scientific groups. 6 school projects took part in the seminar, 4 of which were from our scientific group.
- On March 19, 2024, we organised the open seminar for schoolchildren “Introduction to Nanophotonics”. During the open seminar, participants learnt the basics of nanophotonics and what nanophotonic technologies are being developed in our group. Also, they took part in a tour of the chemical and optical laboratories of the Faculty of Physics in ITMO University. 40 people from Lyceum No. 533 and the Cadet Corps (school of IT technologies) of the Military Academy of Communications named after S.M. Budyonny participated in the seminar.
- On April 5, 2024, Elena Petrova attended the Physics and Technology School named after. Zh.I. Alferova, where she spoke about the physics department of ITMO University, with the goal of attracting schoolchildren to undergraduate studies and/or completing a year-long internship in our group.
- From October 30 to November 2, 2023, the team members held an autumn school on modeling for school children “Introducing the Nanogalaxy”. 10 schoolchildren learned the basics of modeling optical properties resonant semiconductor nanoparticles.
School projects supervised by our group members won the scientific prizes
Our group actively involves schoolchildren in scientific activities. Now 11 schoolchildren from Saint Petersburg, Krasnoyarsk, Kotlas and Priozersk do annual internship in our group. All our team members - from Bachelor students to Postdocs - work with schoolchildren. This approach not only opens the door to science for school children, but also contributes to the creation of new research teams capable of solving problems of different levels. Moreover, the team members gain valuable mentoring experiences that build the necessary competencies to become successful leaders.
School projects supervised by our group members participated in international conferences and won some scientific prizes. For example:
- the school project “Optimization of PUF tag recognition” under Elena Petrova’s supervision received a first-degree diploma at the international conference Sakharov Readings 2024,
- a second-degree diploma was awarded to the school project “Processing and analysis of data from experiments on the detection of protein compounds based on Raman scattering” under Artem Stumpf’s guidance,
- the school project “Increasing the sensitivity of resonances of plasmonic nanoparticles by selecting their material” under Martin Sandomirsky’s supervision received a participants’ diploma,
- the school project “Laser-induced fabrication of functional elements of nanophotonics and study of their properties” under the guidance of Van. Gulinyan received a participant’s diploma at the XIII Congress of Young Scientists of ITMO.
Winners of Olympiads in Physics
Our team member Bogdan Bogdanov and ITMO team won 3 student Olympiad in physics in 2023-2024:
- the All-Russian Student Olympiad in Physics, held at the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI
- All-Russian Student Olympiad in Physics at Bauman Moscow State Technical University
- All-Russian Student Olympiad in Physics 2023 MEPhI
New RSF grant
Our team member, postdoc Artem Larin, has won an RSF grant for young scientiests. The topic of the project is “All-optical control of the nonlinear optical response of metal-semiconductor nanostructures for photonic integrated circuits”.
The goal of this project is to develop nanoscale and efficient nonlinear optical frequency converters based on resonant metal-semiconductor nanostructures, the nonlinear response of which is controlled by a quasi-static electric field. Dates of the project: 07.2024 - 06.2027.
Congratulations to Artem!
The goal of this project is to develop nanoscale and efficient nonlinear optical frequency converters based on resonant metal-semiconductor nanostructures, the nonlinear response of which is controlled by a quasi-static electric field. Dates of the project: 07.2024 - 06.2027.
Congratulations to Artem!
Congrats to Vitaly Yaroshenko!
Our team member Vitaly Yaroshenko has successfully defended his PhD thesis on the topic “Dielectric resonant structures for the luminescent properties control of nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamond and erbium ions in silicon matrix”. Congratulations to Vitaly and good luck in the future work as a postdoc!
Asymmetry VS Sepsis: Russian-Italian Research Team Developing Optical Sensor for Early Diagnosis
In the fall of 2021, a joint research team from ITMO University and CNR-Nanotec (Italy) won a grant from the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education and from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for the development of this technology.
Why it matters
Sepsis is a condition caused by the body’s extreme reaction to an infection. It is treatable in early stages, which is why timely and accurate diagnosis can prevent the majority of the fatal outcomes. The goal of the international research project is to develop a quick-acting, precise optical sensor based on chiral plasmonic nanostructures in order to detect sepsis biomarkers that circulate through the bloodstream at early stages.
“Modern science is based on collaboration between research teams that specialize in different disciplines. Such cooperation helps us to solve truly pressing global issues in the quickest time possible. That’s why the collaboration between researchers from ITMO University and CNR-Nanotec was a given. It allows us to put together a team that’s knowledgeable in the development and assembly of nanoobjects, as well as in optics and biology – and is capable of solving complex interdisciplinary tasks at the intersection of these sciences,” says Dmitry Zuev, a senior researcher at ITMO’s Faculty of Physics and the head of the project at ITMO.
How it’s done
The lab version of the sensor will be based on chiral nanostructures, which are systems lacking mirror symmetry in the sense that their mirror images are not identical to the original ones.
One of the most widespread types of chiral nanostructures are helixes: spiraling shapes similar to the molecules of DNA and RNA. By changing the diameter of a nanohelix’s loops, their number and the distance between them, scientists can adjust the optical response of the entire structure with high precision. Nanophotonic sensors based on such systems are capable of identifying various compounds in highly-diluted solutions.
In using chiral nanostructures, the scientists plan to achieve specific and ultra-sensitive detection of various biomarkers. Promising results came from a collaborative study done by the two teams together with other partners, who developed a chiral sensor capable of efficiently detecting TAR DNA-binding protein 43, a potential biomarker of several neurodegenerative diseases, down to a concentration in the femtomolar range.
“Circular dichroism manifests when chiral nanostructures interact with right- or left-handed circularly polarized light. When chiral nanostructures are immersed in a medium containing a certain substance, their optical properties – that is, their circular dichroism – change as an effect of substance concentration. Moreover, we can detect biomolecules not only in their individual solutions, but also in complex biological liquids found in the human body,” explains Dr. Vittorianna Tasco, the head of the project at CNR-Nanotec.
Research plans
Right now, the Italian team is busy producing sensors based on chiral nanostructures; their Russian colleagues are tasked with testing the device’s optical properties.
As per the grant project’s schedule, the research team will deliver a lab sample of the sensor by the end of 2023. This will entail not only its creation, but also the testing of its operational stability and the assessment of its accuracy and selectivity.
“Our collaboration with the researchers at ITMO University began several years ago with mutual visits. In 2019, I spent a month at ITMO University in the wonderful city of St. Petersburg and found the experience very inspiring. Dr. Zuev’s group helped us better understand the optical properties of nanostructures produced at our laboratory. This will help us in engineering metamaterials and finding applications for them in biosensing,” says Dr. Vittoriana Tasco.
Why it matters
Sepsis is a condition caused by the body’s extreme reaction to an infection. It is treatable in early stages, which is why timely and accurate diagnosis can prevent the majority of the fatal outcomes. The goal of the international research project is to develop a quick-acting, precise optical sensor based on chiral plasmonic nanostructures in order to detect sepsis biomarkers that circulate through the bloodstream at early stages.
“Modern science is based on collaboration between research teams that specialize in different disciplines. Such cooperation helps us to solve truly pressing global issues in the quickest time possible. That’s why the collaboration between researchers from ITMO University and CNR-Nanotec was a given. It allows us to put together a team that’s knowledgeable in the development and assembly of nanoobjects, as well as in optics and biology – and is capable of solving complex interdisciplinary tasks at the intersection of these sciences,” says Dmitry Zuev, a senior researcher at ITMO’s Faculty of Physics and the head of the project at ITMO.
How it’s done
The lab version of the sensor will be based on chiral nanostructures, which are systems lacking mirror symmetry in the sense that their mirror images are not identical to the original ones.
One of the most widespread types of chiral nanostructures are helixes: spiraling shapes similar to the molecules of DNA and RNA. By changing the diameter of a nanohelix’s loops, their number and the distance between them, scientists can adjust the optical response of the entire structure with high precision. Nanophotonic sensors based on such systems are capable of identifying various compounds in highly-diluted solutions.
In using chiral nanostructures, the scientists plan to achieve specific and ultra-sensitive detection of various biomarkers. Promising results came from a collaborative study done by the two teams together with other partners, who developed a chiral sensor capable of efficiently detecting TAR DNA-binding protein 43, a potential biomarker of several neurodegenerative diseases, down to a concentration in the femtomolar range.
“Circular dichroism manifests when chiral nanostructures interact with right- or left-handed circularly polarized light. When chiral nanostructures are immersed in a medium containing a certain substance, their optical properties – that is, their circular dichroism – change as an effect of substance concentration. Moreover, we can detect biomolecules not only in their individual solutions, but also in complex biological liquids found in the human body,” explains Dr. Vittorianna Tasco, the head of the project at CNR-Nanotec.
Research plans
Right now, the Italian team is busy producing sensors based on chiral nanostructures; their Russian colleagues are tasked with testing the device’s optical properties.
As per the grant project’s schedule, the research team will deliver a lab sample of the sensor by the end of 2023. This will entail not only its creation, but also the testing of its operational stability and the assessment of its accuracy and selectivity.
“Our collaboration with the researchers at ITMO University began several years ago with mutual visits. In 2019, I spent a month at ITMO University in the wonderful city of St. Petersburg and found the experience very inspiring. Dr. Zuev’s group helped us better understand the optical properties of nanostructures produced at our laboratory. This will help us in engineering metamaterials and finding applications for them in biosensing,” says Dr. Vittoriana Tasco.
Content Oriented Web
On November 10, 2022 our colleagues and scientists from Kotelnikov Institute of Radioengineering and Electronics held a joint workshop.
The researchers of the Faculty of Physics presented the following reports:
The researchers of the Faculty of Physics presented the following reports:
- Pavel Belov (Faculty of Physics of ITMO University + Resonators based on a wire medium for axion detection)
- Dmitry Permyakov (Our equipment and its technical capabilities),
- Dmitry Zuev (Metal-dielectric nanophotonics)
- Valentin Milichko (Interaction of light with coordination polymers: from new light sources to data processing)
- Mikhail Rybin (Switchable photonic structures based on GeSbTe)
- Alexey Shcherbakov (Computational methods in optics and photonics)
- Alexandra Kalashnikova (Ultrafast optomagnonics: from the center of the Brillouin zone to its edge)
- Polina Kapitanova (Wireless power transfer technologies)
- Andrey Sayanskiy (Examples of works of the antenna group).
Congrats to Yali Sun!
Congratulations to our team member Yaly Sun on her successful PhD defence. The topic of her PhD thesis is “Electromagnetic near-field control in resonant gold-silicon nanostructures”. We wish Yali a successful scientific career!
Our team members developed unclonable anti-counterfeiting labels
Scientists from ITMO University developed unclonable anti-counterfeiting labels, which are based on silicon nanoparticles modified with a laser. It’s impossible to change the color, structure, and location of the particles: these parameters are random, which makes the label safe from counterfeiting. In order to check if it’s authentic, all you need to do is upload its picture into a special program.
The new technology is based on laser ablation – a process, during which a silicon film is transferred to glass via a laser pulse. The general shape of the label can be modified beforehand to make it look like a brand logo, but it’s impossible to program the silicon nanoparticles, so each image is absolutely unique. If compared to other substances, silicon is accessible, resistant to external influences, and has a lot of color options. It can also be placed on a wide range of materials.
“Imagine there’s some sand in your hand and you decide to pour it onto a plate. Eventually, you’ll end up with a unique sand ornament that will be impossible to replicate on another plate. The same concept lies at the core of our technology, too, but instead of sand, there’s silicon. The laser influences the silicon film, which leads to the extraction of nanoparticles that form a random texture. The resulting image looks like a constellation of multicolored stars,” says Pavel Kustov, a PhD student at the School of Physics and Engineering and the paper’s first author.
Each silicon particle contains unique data, such as coordinates, color, and structure (crystallinity percentage). This information is encrypted and stored in a database. The coordinates are responsible for the shape of the label and ensure the first level of protection. Chromatic coordinates influence the color and add another anti-counterfeiting layer. Finally, the crystallinity percentage represents how chaotic or ordered the atoms in each particle are, thus making it even safer.
“Our labels are invisible to the naked eye. In order to see them and check their authenticity, you need to take a picture using a zoom lens or a microscope and upload it into a special program, which clusters and simplifies the picture using machine learning and computer vision so that it starts to look kind of like a coloring book where every digit stands for a color. Then it’s compared to the information from the database. If all the parameters correspond to each other, the program will conclude that the product is authentic. Otherwise, it’s a forgery,” says Elena Petrova, a student at the School of Physics and Engineering and the paper’s co-author.
According to the project’s authors, such labels will be useful for manufacturers of luxury and limited products, such as drugs, cars, jewelry, and musical instruments.
“There are few studies that suggest accessible and easily implemented technologies for the creation of unclonable labels. The laser ablation method and silicon haven’t been applied in this field before. As it turned out, they make up a relatively simple way to ensure the maximum level of protection. Our next step is making the labels more flexible and increasing the number of materials they can be put on,” concludes Martin Sandomirskii, a student at the School of Physics and Engineering and the paper’s co-author.
Reference: Pavel Kustov, Elena Petrova, Mikhail Nazarov, Almaz Gilmullin, Martin Sandomirskii, Ekaterina Ponkratova, Vitaly Yaroshenko, Eduard Ageev, Dmitry Zuev. Mie-Resonant Silicon Nanoparticles for Physically Unclonable Anti-Counterfeiting Labels. ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2022.
The new technology is based on laser ablation – a process, during which a silicon film is transferred to glass via a laser pulse. The general shape of the label can be modified beforehand to make it look like a brand logo, but it’s impossible to program the silicon nanoparticles, so each image is absolutely unique. If compared to other substances, silicon is accessible, resistant to external influences, and has a lot of color options. It can also be placed on a wide range of materials.
“Imagine there’s some sand in your hand and you decide to pour it onto a plate. Eventually, you’ll end up with a unique sand ornament that will be impossible to replicate on another plate. The same concept lies at the core of our technology, too, but instead of sand, there’s silicon. The laser influences the silicon film, which leads to the extraction of nanoparticles that form a random texture. The resulting image looks like a constellation of multicolored stars,” says Pavel Kustov, a PhD student at the School of Physics and Engineering and the paper’s first author.
Each silicon particle contains unique data, such as coordinates, color, and structure (crystallinity percentage). This information is encrypted and stored in a database. The coordinates are responsible for the shape of the label and ensure the first level of protection. Chromatic coordinates influence the color and add another anti-counterfeiting layer. Finally, the crystallinity percentage represents how chaotic or ordered the atoms in each particle are, thus making it even safer.
“Our labels are invisible to the naked eye. In order to see them and check their authenticity, you need to take a picture using a zoom lens or a microscope and upload it into a special program, which clusters and simplifies the picture using machine learning and computer vision so that it starts to look kind of like a coloring book where every digit stands for a color. Then it’s compared to the information from the database. If all the parameters correspond to each other, the program will conclude that the product is authentic. Otherwise, it’s a forgery,” says Elena Petrova, a student at the School of Physics and Engineering and the paper’s co-author.
According to the project’s authors, such labels will be useful for manufacturers of luxury and limited products, such as drugs, cars, jewelry, and musical instruments.
“There are few studies that suggest accessible and easily implemented technologies for the creation of unclonable labels. The laser ablation method and silicon haven’t been applied in this field before. As it turned out, they make up a relatively simple way to ensure the maximum level of protection. Our next step is making the labels more flexible and increasing the number of materials they can be put on,” concludes Martin Sandomirskii, a student at the School of Physics and Engineering and the paper’s co-author.
Reference: Pavel Kustov, Elena Petrova, Mikhail Nazarov, Almaz Gilmullin, Martin Sandomirskii, Ekaterina Ponkratova, Vitaly Yaroshenko, Eduard Ageev, Dmitry Zuev. Mie-Resonant Silicon Nanoparticles for Physically Unclonable Anti-Counterfeiting Labels. ACS Applied Nano Materials, 2022.
