Storage security is integral to data protection, and various ways have been applied to fight common threats and vulnerabilities. For instance, chips are embedded in credit cards, national currencies are printed with watermarks, and retina scanners are installed in high-profile locations.
Micro Mirage
At Pennsylvania State University, scientists have developed a pixel-by-pixel approach to visible camouflage to scale it for improved optical security, infrared surveillance, and anti-forgery protections. The details of their study are discussed in the paper "Brochosome-inspired binary metastructures for pixel-by-pixel thermal signature control."
The research team led by Mechanical Engineering Professor Sheng Shen took inspiration from brochosomes, a 'magic' structure produced by leafhoppers to make a cloak effect to hide from predators. They wanted to understand the optical limitations of the brochosomes to see what more they could do with them.
Brochosomes are three-dimensional soccer ball-like objects containing nanoscale cavities that internally absorb light rather than reflect it onto outside structures. Scientists assume this property enables the leafhoppers to blend in with their background.
The researchers designed binary megastructures, which function as pixel twins to achieve pixelated thermal signature control at the microscale. In the infrared range, the pixel twins create thermal counterparts of "0-1" binary states to store and display information. In the visible range, on the other hand, the engineered surface of the pixel twins demonstrates similar scattering behaviors.
To test its functionality, the researchers simulated two versions of the structure, one with cavities for absorbing light and one without. In physics, if a structure is a good absorber of energy, it can emit an equal amount of energy.
From this property, the team realized that if they put both structures together, one would emit more energy than the other. This would make one appear brighter to an infrared camera than the different structure. This has led to the development of the world's smallest QR code.
Penn State collaborators developed an advanced 3D printing technique, which the researchers used to control the structure of each pixel. Since the pixels can be printed with or without holes, the scientists were able to fabricate a QR code that can be read by an infrared camera alone.
Measuring less than 2% of an inch, the QR code is only visible under a microscope. The researchers plan to explore ways to scale their innovation for commercial use. Their unique combination of visible camouflage and infrared display provides new opportunities for data encryption and optical security.
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Unique Properties of Brochosomes
Brochosomes are considered one of the most unusual structures produced in living cells. They offer an interesting model system for studies of cell biology. Due to their unique structures and properties, they also have important applications in evolutionary studies.
Brochosomes are proteinaceous secretory particles with intricate shapes produced by the Malpighian tubules of leafhoppers. They serve as a unique evolutionary innovation that has led to the diversification of this insect's family.
As extraordinarily stable structures, brochosomes are insoluble in water and organic solvents, either cold or boiling. They are resistant to heat and are highly hydrophobic when present in high masses.
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