A physical unclonable neutron sensor for nuclear arms control inspections

Area of Science:

• Materials Science and Engineering
• Information Security
• Nuclear Engineering

Background:

• Classical sensor security depends on cryptographic algorithms and trusted hardware, which are vulnerable to manipulation and key extraction.
• Current methods often assume sensor media are trustworthy, with security measures applied post-collection.
• Existing approaches face limitations in preventing sophisticated hardware attacks and ensuring data integrity at the source.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate a novel sensor security approach independent of classical cryptography and trusted electronics.
• To develop passive sensor media capable of inherently producing secure and trustworthy data.
• To validate the security and non-malicious nature of the designed media.

Main Methods:

• Design and fabrication of non-electronic, passive sensor media.
• Incorporation of physical unclonable and optically complex properties into the sensor media.
• Characterization of media sensitivity to neutrons for high-security applications.

Main Results:

• Successful manufacturing and characterization of novel passive sensor media.
• Demonstration of inherent data security and trustworthiness without relying on traditional electronics.
• Validation of the media's suitability for high-security scenarios, such as nuclear material detection.

Conclusions:

• A new paradigm for sensor security is established, leveraging physical properties over cryptographic methods.
• The developed passive sensor media provide a robust and inherently secure solution for data authentication.
• This approach offers a promising alternative for critical infrastructure security and sensitive material verification.