Smartphones use 3D light tricks to protect your information

Fluorescence and phosphorescence dual-light-emitting 3D cubes for high-security optical encryption. Credit: Jin Woo Oh, Seokyeong Lee, Hyowon Han, Omar Allam, Ji Il Choi, Hyeokjung Lee, Wei Jiang, Jihye Jang, Gwanho Kim, Seungsoo Mun, Kyuho Lee, Yeonji Kim, Jong Woong Park, Seonju Lee, Seung Soon Jang, and Cheolmin Park

In the world we live in, we are more connected than ever thanks to smartphones and the internet.

However, with great connection comes great responsibility to keep our private information, well… private!

When everyone is sharing and exchanging information, it can easily fall into the wrong hands.

Because of this, scientists have been working hard to find new ways to keep our secrets safe, especially in the digital space.

So, let’s talk about a fascinating breakthrough in the world of tech and security: scientists have developed a new way to protect information using light!

This new method makes it hard for anyone to see or understand the information if they are not supposed to.

A group of smart people, led by Professor Cheolmin Park from Yonsei University, Korea, and Professor Seung Soon Jang from Georgia Institute of Technology, US, have found a way to use special light tricks, called 3-D volumetric optical encryption, to secure information.

They used materials that can glow in two different ways, called fluorescent and phosphorescent, to hide the real information behind fake info when exposed to UV light.

In simple terms, they put tiny light-glowing crystals into structures called metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). These structures help to stabilize the glowing, allowing it to last longer without any extra steps.

By doing this, they managed to hide the real, important information behind a layer of fake, misleading information.

This light-trick method even uses 3-D printing! They dispersed the dual-light-glowing material in 3-D printable plastic threads to create a 3-D pattern for extra security.

This not only adds more depth to the security but also opens up new possibilities for making different kinds of sensors and displays that can bend and stretch.

This breakthrough is not just cool but also very practical. It uses regular smartphones and software, meaning it’s not just high-tech but also easy and cost-effective.

Anyone with a standard smartphone camera and the right software can use this technology, making it a real game-changer in personal information security.

This innovative light-trick method can be especially handy for protecting personal biodata. With the continuous research in human–machine interfaces, having high-security encryption methods like this one is crucial.

It can be applied in wearable devices, making it a versatile solution for different security needs.

In conclusion, scientists have developed an innovative method to secure information using special glowing materials and 3-D printing technology.

By hiding real information behind fake, glowing patterns, this method offers a new level of security, ensuring our private information stays private in this hyper-connected world.

This breakthrough is not just a step forward in the world of digital security but also opens up numerous possibilities for the future of wearable tech and human–machine interaction.

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