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  • Essay / The need to develop atomic fingerprints

    Counterfeiting has become a huge problem today. From the food we eat to the clothes we wear, a wide range of products can be imitated. Almost every country on the map has fallen victim to this epidemic. Each of us may have at one time or another purchased products that we later recognized as imitations of the original products. Reports indicate that globally, around half a trillion savings are lost every year, affecting the economies of countries and various businesses. Even though governments of various countries have taken various precautions and launched various campaigns, people are not able to distinguish between the original and the fakes. Counterfeiting has continued to exist as an incurable disease for decades. There has always been a search for technology to keep these counterfeit products at bay, in a way that could be easily adopted, cost-effective and would give counterfeiters a run for their money. This breakthrough was made by a group of scientists from the University of Lanchester, UK. The technology developed by these scientists to distinguish counterfeit products from genuine products is called atomic fingerprinting. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The basic principle behind atomic fingerprints is derived from the postulates of Bhor's atomic model. It states that electrons orbit the nucleus in specific circular paths, these circular orbits have a certain fixed amount of energy. As long as the electrons exit to spin in their discrete orbits, they neither emit nor absorb energy. Energy change occurs when electrons move from one energy level to another. When electrons absorb energy or move from a lower energy level to a higher energy level. When electrons move from a higher energy level to a lower energy level, they radiate energy in the form of electromagnetic waves. So each element has a unique energy level. This unique set of lines is called an atomic fingerprint. These energy levels will help us distinguish authentic products from counterfeit products. Although atomic fingerprints have been used for many decades, they have been used to discover a new element or to learn the composition of gases on the sun or other stars. Now, scientists have developed a method by which this technology could be used to combat counterfeiters. Scientists discovered that by intentionally adding defects to a layer of molecular structure, they could create a unique pattern that was almost impossible to reproduce. For example, a single-layer flake of graphene dioxide produced by an exfoliating graphite diode through a sonication process can be taken and an oxygen atom is added or a carbon atom is removed from the flake at certain positions so that it produces a unique pattern. This pattern layer is then printed onto a hologram using an inkjet printer. Each hologram containing a unique pattern of defects is glued to each individual product. All we have to do is take a photo of the hologram, by flashing on it, with the energy obtained from the camera flash, the hologram produces color characteristics. This unique pattern of color characteristics is photographed and analyzed by an app on the smartphone, which authenticates the product. Keep in mind: this is just a sample..