Indian Researchers Develop ‘4D’ Anticounterfeiting Tech

Scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have developed an advanced perovskite nanomaterial that could significantly enhance protection against counterfeit products, forged documents and fake currency.

Unlike conventional fluorescent security features that exhibit a fixed optical response, the new material can be repeatedly switched between different states using heat and chemical treatment, adding a dynamic dimension to authentication that the researchers describe as ‘4D anticounterfeiting’.

The work, published in Advanced Optical Materials, was led by Prof Saikat Bhaumik in collaboration with Prof P K Giri and researchers Latika Juneja and Garima Choudhary from IIT Guwahati’s Department of Physics.

The technology is based on light-emitting perovskite nanocrystals, crystalline materials capable of producing extremely pure colours with very narrow emission spectra. Such precise optical signatures have long been considered attractive for security applications, but perovskites have traditionally suffered from poor environmental stability, degrading when exposed to heat, moisture and chemicals.