Hardware-based cryptography that exploits physical unclonable functions is required for the secure identification and authentication of devices in the Internet of Things. However, physical unclonable functions are typically based on anticounterfeit identifiers created from randomized microscale patterns or non-predictable fluctuations of electrical response in semiconductor devices, and the validation of an encrypted signature relies on a single-purpose method such as microscopy or electrical measurement. Here we report nanoscale physical unclonable function labels that exploit non-deterministic molecular self-assembly. The labels are created from the multilayer superpositions of metallic nanopatterns replicated from self-assembled block co-polymer nanotemplates. Due to the nanoscale dimensions and diverse material options of the system, physical unclonable functions are intrinsically difficult to replicate, robust for authentication and resistant to external disturbance. Multiple, independently operating keys—which use electrical resistance, optical dichroism or Raman signals—can be generated from a single physical unclonable function, offering millisecond-level validation speeds. We also show that our physical unclonable function labels can be used on a range of different surfaces including dollar bills, human hair and microscopic bacteria.

物联网中设备的安全识别和认证需要利用物理不可克隆功能的基于硬件的密码学。然而，物理不可克隆功能通常基于由随机微尺度模式或半导体设备中不可预测的电响应波动创建的防伪标识符，并且加密签名的验证依赖于单一用途的方法，例如显微镜或电测量。在这里，我们报告了利用非确定性分子自组装的纳米级物理不可克隆功能标签。标签是由金属纳米图案的多层叠加创建的，这些金属纳米图案从自组装嵌段共聚物纳米模板复制而来。由于系统的纳米级尺寸和多种材料选择，物理不可克隆功能本质上难以复制，对于身份验证具有鲁棒性并且可以抵抗外部干扰。多个独立操作的键（使用电阻、光学二色性或拉曼信号）可以从单个物理不可克隆功能生成，提供毫秒级的验证速度。我们还表明，我们的物理不可克隆功能标签可用于各种不同的表面，包括美元钞票、人发和微小细菌。