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Mar 19, 2024
(Nanowerk Information) Counterfeiting of assorted paperwork, banknotes, or tickets is a typical drawback that may be encountered in on a regular basis life, even when purchasing. Recognising the dimensions and seriousness of the issue, researchers at Kaunas College of Expertise (KTU), Lithuania, determined to search for methods to additional cut back the danger of counterfeiting by inventing a brand new technique to supply holographic safety labels.
Holograms have been used as an anti-counterfeiting device for a while. Now they are often seen on pharmaceutical packaging, model labels, and even toys. Holograms are rather more troublesome for forgers to counterfeit than, for instance, the watermarks on banknotes, as they require advanced micro and nano applied sciences that conventional printing homes lack.
Combining two applied sciences has led to worldwide recognition
To boost the extent of holographic safety towards forgery and to deal with this worldwide drawback, Lithuanian researchers from KTU Institute of Supplies Science got here up with the concept of mixing two technologically totally different strategies.
One in all them is a dot-matrix hologram manufactured from small dots that refract gentle. “Every dot, which is barely smaller than a human hair, data a periodic construction made up of strains often known as a diffraction grating.
It causes the sunshine to play in a method that’s seen to the observer’s eye, just like a CD or DVD,” explains one of many inventors Dr Tomas Tamulevičius.
Holographic safety labels produced by KTU scientists. (Picture: KTU)
Dr Viktoras Grigaliūnas, a KTU researcher who additionally contributed to the event of the know-how, provides that this dot-matrix hologram, though comparatively quicker and cheaper and used to show massive areas of the hologram, doesn’t assure a really excessive stage of safety.
For this reason electron beam lithography is used to show smaller areas of the hologram.
“It’s a extra superior know-how that enables to type high-resolution buildings and is virtually inaccessible to potential hologram counterfeiters,” says Grigaliūnas, a researcher on the KTU Institute of Supplies Science and head of the Analysis Laboratory of Nano and Microlithography Laboratory.
The mix of those two strategies has obtained worldwide recognition – the invention has been recognised by the US Patent and Trademark Workplace and the Japanese Patent Workplace. This protects the mental property created by the scientists and permits them to license it to firms.
As well as, holographic label applied sciences developed by KTU researchers are already extensively used for metrological verification, on automotive license plates, on the packaging of assorted merchandise, and on occasion tickets and diplomas.
Warns staying alert
“Admittedly, holograms had been invented for a very totally different goal, to extend the decision of digital microscopy,” says Prof. Tamulevičius.
In accordance with the scientist, the breakthrough of holograms within the battle towards counterfeiting got here when it was realised that after the unique hologram was recorded, it could possibly be copied mechanically by urgent it into one other materials. This has led to a considerable enlargement within the manufacturing portions of holograms.
Fictional movies and their holograms of individuals and even total cities have led to a quite numerous notion and interpretation of the time period itself. The fast advances in know-how have allowed some fictional concepts to turn out to be actuality, and at this time even holograms in full live performance arenas will be seen.
“Nonetheless, our analysis is nearer to classical holograms,” provides Tamulevičius. The scientist mentions that hologram know-how has been developed at KTU Institute of Supplies Science for greater than 20 years. Throughout this time, the researchers haven’t solely refined their actions, obtained a patent for his or her invention, but additionally arrange a start-up “Holtida” which presents firms the chance to buy options developed by scientists of their laboratories.
When strengthening the protecting measures themselves, Tamulevičius encourages customers to take into account that holograms will also be counterfeited, so he encourages everybody to examine the holographic safety labels and to stay alert.
“Hologram producers normally attempt to make holograms as shiny as doable; the seen options, comparable to clear objects and totally different colors, don’t glow by probability. Solely particular parts of the model are built-in into the picture with totally different sizes of characters seen. If an observer sees a random glow, it’s more likely to be both a really unsophisticated hologram or a pretend,” he says.
In collaboration with colleagues from the School of Informatics (IF) at KTU, the inventors have developed one other innovation. It’s a digital utility for sensible gadgets known as “HoloApp”, which lets you see what the hologram appears to be like like on the display screen. This permits a greater understanding and expertise of what a hologram ought to appear to be and the flexibility to establish whether it is cast.
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