Hotspot generation for unique identification with nanomaterials

Abdelazim, Nema and Fong, Matthew J. (2021) Hotspot generation for unique identification with nanomaterials. Scientific Reports, 11 (1), [1528]. (doi:10.1038/s41598-020-79644-w).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Nanoscale variations in the structure and composition of an object are an enticing basis for verifying its identity, due to the physical complexity of attempting to reproduce such a system. The biggest practical challenge for nanoscale authentication lies in producing a system that can be assessed with a facile measurement. Here, a system is presented in which InP/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) are randomly distributed on a surface of an aluminium-coated substrate with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs). Variations in the local arrangement of the QDs and NPs is shown to lead to interactions between them, which can suppress or enhance fluorescence from the QDs. This position-dependent interaction can be mapped, allowing intensity, emission dynamics, and/or wavelength variations to be used to uniquely identify a specific sample at the nanoscale with a far-field optical measurement. This demonstration could pave the way to producing robust anti-counterfeiting devices.

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Published date: December 2021

Additional Information: Funding Information: R.J.Y. acknowledges support from the Royal Society through a University Research Fellowship (UF160721). This material was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under Award No. FA9550-19-1-0397. This work was also supported by grants from The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council in the UK (EP/K50421X/1 and EP/L01548X/1). Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s). Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

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