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SUMMARY:Laser Surface Authentication: Using Nature's own fingerprint to de
 tect fraud - Prof. Russell Cowburn\, Imperial College London\, UK
DTSTART:20080725T150000Z
DTEND:20080725T160000Z
UID:TALK12100@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr James Bendall
DESCRIPTION:In this talk I describe a new technology called Laser Surface 
 Authentication (LSA) which is currently being piloted by a number of major
  manufacturing companies as a means of detecting counterfeit products and 
 tracing the origin of smuggled goods.  Based on the physics of diffuse las
 er scattering as a nanometrology probe [1]\, LSA allows the micro- and nan
 o-scale surface topography of any item to be measured and digitised rapidl
 y to form a unique\, naturally-occurring fingerprint that can be used to a
 uthenticate and trace everything from nuclear devices to shampoo bottles. 
  In this talk I will describe the underlying physics\, the technological c
 hallenges and the experience of bringing the technology to market through 
 a spin-out company.\n \n[1] Buchanan\, Cowburn et al. Nature 436\, 475 (20
 05)\n
LOCATION:CAPE building main atrium
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