Counterfeiting has become a big problem today. From the food we eat to the clothes we wear, a wide range of products can be imitated. Almost all countries on the map have been victims of this epidemic. Each of us may have at one time or another purchased products that we later recognized as imitations of the original ones. Reports say that globally, around half a trillion economies are lost every year, affecting countries' economies and various businesses. Although governments in various countries have taken a series of precautions and launched various campaigns, people are unable to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit products. Counterfeiting continues to exist as a disease without cure for decades. There has always been a search for technology to keep these fake products at bay, in a way that is easily adopted, cheap and really gives counterfeiters a run for their money. This breakthrough was achieved by a group of scientists from the University of Lanchester, UK. The technology developed by these scientists to distinguish between fake and authentic products is called atomic fingerprinting. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The basic principle behind atomic fingerprinting comes from the postulates of the atomic model of a Bhor atom. It states that electrons rotate around the nucleus in specific circular paths, these circular orbits have a certain amount of fixed energy. As long as the electrons go out to spin in their discrete orbits, they neither emit nor absorb energy. The energy change occurs when electrons jump from one energy level to another. When electrons absorb energy or jump from a lower energy level to a higher energy level. When electrons jump from higher energy levels to lower energy levels, they radiate energy in the form of electromagnetic waves. Therefore each element has a unique energy level. This unique set of lines is called an atomic fingerprint. These energy levels will help us distinguish between authentic and counterfeit products. Although atomic fingerprinting has been in use for many decades, it has been used to discover a new element or to find the composition of gases present on the sun or other stars. Now, scientists have devised a method through which this technology could be used to fight counterfeiters. Scientists found that by intentionally adding defects to the molecular structure layer, they could create a unique pattern, which is almost impossible for anyone to reproduce. For example, it is possible to take a single-layer flake of graphene dioxide produced by exfoliation of graphite diode using sonication process and add an oxygen atom or remove a carbon atom from the flake at certain positions so as to produce a unique pattern. This pattern layer is then printed onto a hologram with the help of an inkjet printer. Each hologram containing a unique pattern of defects is pasted onto each individual product. All we have to do is take a photo of the hologram, 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 in the smartphone, which authenticates the product. Please note: this is just a sample. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay The research team is now working with a company that prints over 10 billion holograms.