IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,494,906
Granted Patent B2
US 12,494,906 · App. 18/364,515 · Granted Dec 9, 2025

Systems and methods for implementing structures for physical unclonable functions

Inventors: Duncan L. MacFarlane (Dallas, TX); Mitchell A. Thornton (Dallas, TX); William V. Oxford (Austin, TX); Hiva Shahoei (Dallas, TX); Evan Jacob Stewart (Dallas, TX); Stephen Keith Heinrich-Barna (Lucas, TX)
Assignee: ANAMETRIC, INC.
H04L9/0866H04L9/3247H04L9/3278G06F21/73H04L2209/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,494,906
App. No.
18/364,515
Granted
Dec 9, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments of PUF systems utilizing photonic circuits to generate a PUF signature based on a state of polarization of photons are disclosed. Embodiments of such PUFs may comprise substantially the same circuitry that may be operated in the classical domain or the quantum domain.

Claims (38)

1 . A Physically Unclonable Function (PUF) system, comprising:

a photon source;

a photonic circuit coupled to the photon source via an input waveguide, the photonic circuit having a first output and a second output;

a polarization controller responsive to a polarization input, wherein operation of the polarization controller in response to the polarization input is adapted to affect a polarization of photons on the input waveguide;

a first detector coupled to the first output and adapted to detect a first signal on the first output, wherein the first signal is associated with a polarization state of photons on the input waveguide; and

a second detector coupled to the second output and adapted to detect a second signal on the second output, wherein the second signal is associated with the polarization state of photons on the input waveguide, and

wherein the PUF system is adapted to determine a PUF signature based on a difference between the first signal and the second signal.

2 . The PUF system of claim 1 , wherein the first signal is a presence of a photon on the first output and the second signal is the presence of the photon on the second output and determining the PUF signature comprises accumulating a first number of photons at the first output based on the first signal and accumulating a second number of photons at the first output based on the first signal and determining a ratio between the first number of photons and the second number of photons.

3 . The PUF system of claim 1 , wherein the first signal is a first strength of an optical signal at the first output and the second signal is a second strength of an optical signal at the second output and determining the PUF signature comprises determining a ratio between the first strength and the second strength.

4 . The PUF system of claim 1 , wherein the PUF system further comprises one or more reconfigurable elements adapted to alter a birefringence of the photonic circuit.

5 . The PUF system of claim 4 , wherein the reconfigurable element comprises a polysilicon tub.

6 . The PUF system of claim 4 , wherein the reconfigurable element comprises a variable phase shifter.

7 . The PUF system of claim 6 , wherein the photonic circuit comprises a first Hadamard gate and a second Hadamard gate and the variable phase shifter is coupled between the first Hadamard gate and the second Hadamard gate.

8 . The PUF system of claim 1 , wherein the polarization controller comprises one or more heaters.

9 . A method for determining a Physically Unclonable Function (PUF) signature, comprising:

providing one or more photons from a photon source to a photonic circuit coupled to the photon source via an input waveguide, the photonic circuit having a first output and a second output;

controlling a polarization controller using a polarization input to affect a polarization of photons on the input waveguide;

detecting a first signal on the first output of the photonic circuit, wherein the first signal is associated with a polarization state of photons on the input wavequide;

detecting a second signal on the second output of the photonic circuit, wherein the second signal is associated with the polarization state of photons on the input waveguide; and

determining a PUF signature based on a difference between the first signal and the second signal.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein controlling the polarization controller comprises holding the polarization input at a same level.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first signal is a presence of a photon on the first output and the second signal is the presence of the photon on the second output and determining a PUF signature comprises accumulating a first number of photons at the first output based on the first signal and accumulating a second number of photons at the first output based on the first signal and determining a ratio between the first number of photons and the second number of photons.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the first signal is a first strength of an optical signal at the first output and the second signal is a second strength of an optical signal at the second output and determining the PUF signature comprises determining a ratio between the first strength and the second strength.

13 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising altering a birefringence of the photonic circuit.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein altering the birefringence comprises heating a polysilicon tub in the photonic circuit.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein altering the birefringence comprises controlling a variable phase shifter in the photonic circuit.

16 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the photonic circuit comprises a first Hadamard gate and a second Hadamard gate and the variable phase shifter is coupled between the first Hadamard gate and the second Hadamard gate.

17 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the polarization controller comprises one or more heaters.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the polarization input is a voltage.

19 . A Physically Unclonable Function (PUF) system, comprising:

a photon source;

a photonic circuit coupled to the photon source via an input waveguide, the photonic circuit having a first output and a second output;

a polarization controller responsive to a polarization input, wherein the operation of the polarization controller in response to the polarization input is adapted to affect the polarization of photons on the input waveguide;

a first detector coupled to the first output and adapted to detect a first signal on the first output, wherein the first signal is associated with a polarization state of photons on the input waveguide; and

a second detector coupled to the second output and adapted to detect a second signal on the second output, wherein the second signal is associated with the polarization state of photons on the input waveguide,

wherein the PUF system is adapted to:

determine the PUF signature at a first time by providing a first polarization input to the polarization controller at the first time, detecting the first signal at the first time, detecting the second signal at the first time and determining the PUF signature based on a difference between the first signal at the first time and the second signal at the first time, and

determine the PUF signature at a second time by providing the first polarization input to the polarization controller at the second time, detecting the first signal at the second time, detecting the second signal at the second time and determining the PUF signature based on the difference between the first signal at the second time and the second signal at the second time.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2024
From: OXFORD, WILLIAM V.; STEWART, EVAN JACOB; HEINRICH-BARNA, STEPHEN KEITH
To: ANAMETRIC, INC.
Reel/Frame 068352/0314 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 7, 2024
From: THORNTON, MITCHELL A.; MACFARLANE, DUNCAN L.; SHAHOEI, HIVA
To: SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY
Reel/Frame 066407/0001 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63395736 · Aug 5, 2022
Related Publication 20240223361A1 · Jul 4, 2024
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