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VALIDATE Verifying Authenticity with Liquid Crystal-Derived Anti Theft Encoding
VALIDATE is an ERC Proof of Concept grant which built on the success of the ERC Consolidator grant INTERACT. This project aims to explore the commercial potential of the results of INTERACT project and bridges the outcomes of INTERACT and marketable innovation.
Cholesteric LCs moulded into spherical shape exhibit extraordinary optical properties, thanks to a self-organized periodic internal structure that is modulated by the spherical symmetry. As a result, they reflect light omnidirectionally with specific polarization and wavelength, tunable from the UV to the infrared (IR) range. If multiple Cholesteric Spherical Reflectors (CSRs) are brought together, this peculiar reflectivity generates complex and unique optical patterns (figure 1). VALIDATE aims to investigate the commercial feasibility of CSRs coatings as high-security identification tags, within a work plan that aims to take our innovation from a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 4 to 6/7. This will serve as a key stepping stone towards full commercial exploitation of our CSRs as a game-changing material for authentication. The value proposition of VALIDATE is a physical identifier tag that is easy to use and read out optically, effectively unclonable as a result of the manufacturing process, naturally tamper-evident and hard to simulate due to the complexity of the generated patterns. VALIDATE’s end goal is to have a comprehensive description of the commercial feasibility of our technology and, if positive, what commercialization route has the best risk/benefit ratio.
The Team
Dr. Rijeesh Kizhakidathazhath (Postdoc) and Prof. Jan Lagerwall (PI)
Supporting Team Members
Dr. Hakam Agha (ESMP, postdoc); Dr. Gabriele Lenzini (APSIA group, SnT); Sigmar Lampe (University of Luxembourg Technology Transfer Office)
Funding Details
VALIDATE was funded by the European Commission from 1 September 2019 through 28 February 2021.
