Quantum Leap for Meta

In Meta Materials Inc’s recent webinar ‘Producing the World’s First Fully Plasmonic 3D Animated Banknote Security Feature’, Vice President, Technology and Innovation Clint Landrock explained the motivation behind Meta’s KolourOptik® Stripe and its toolkit of customisable authentication effects with 3D parallax (see HN May 2023).

QUANTUM stripe (© Meta Materials Inc).

Now, the company has announced the production qualification and launch of QUANTUM™ stripe, a new banknote security product based on the award-winning KolourOptik® technology. According to the company, QUANTUM stripe delivers a combination of movement, 3D stereoscopic depth, and multicolour effects in an ultrathin form factor, providing enhanced security and an engaging authentication experience.

Meta, under its form name of Nanotech Security Corporation, has been a pioneer in banknote OVD technology for the past decade with innovations in micro-, nano- and now plasmonic structures.

During the ‘Plasmonic 3D’ webinar, Clint explained that Meta had found inspiration in structural colour phenomena that occurred in nature, such as in butterfly wings. Meta combined macro sized unit cells of microscale structures to create the foundations of 3D display pixels, and then combined those with nanoscale plasmonic meta structures that, like the blue morpho butterfly, filter out light they don’t want. This allows them to capture and select the colour of light they want to use for a given image subpixel.

‘QUANTUM stripe represents a significant milestone in banknote security, offering a unique combination of visual cues that are easy to authenticate but extremely challenging to replicate,’ said Alan Newman, Chief Product Officer for Authentication, Managing Director Banknote & Authentication Division at Meta.

The QUANTUM stripe is readily integrated into banknotes with industry-standard processes and equipment, providing a captivating and intuitive experience.

‘META® nano-optic technology is at the forefront of innovation for the banknote industry,’ said Clint Landrock. ‘QUANTUM stripe is the world’s first fully nano-optic banknote security product and it will usher in a new era of security for the banknote industry. This is the first release from a portfolio of products, with which we intend to bring nano-optic technology to the banknote, ID and brand markets.’ 

Meta has now completed the production qualification of QUANTUM stripe, demonstrating its industrial application and exceptional durability. The company has conducted industry standard tests including chemical resistance, crumpling, and abrasion performance tests, independently validated by third party labs, Ugra and UnderCurrency. Meta is now ready to accept orders from industry partners and customers interested in implementing this new banknote security solution.

One of the partners in the performance testing of QUANTUM stripe was the Swiss manufacturer of substrates for banknotes and passports – Landqart.

‘Landqart has a long history of working with Meta, and we were very pleased to work with them on this project to demonstrate the industrial application of QUANTUM stripe. The results of the application work, and the corresponding durability tests, were very positive, and we look forward to seeing the product in the market circulating on notes very soon,’ said Richard Perera, Director of Marketing Services at Landqart.

QUANTUM stripe is manufactured using clean, renewable hydroelectric energy within Meta’s high-security production facility, ensuring sustainability and environmental responsibility.

According to a Banknote Industry News survey of central banks, conducted earlier this year, the volume of banknotes in circulation in 2022 grew by 4.5% on a global basis compared with 2021, and 10 countries reported growth above 8%. Asked which topics the banknote industry should be working on, Central Banks mentioned sustainability and recycling of banknote wastage as the number one priority, while features and durability were tied for number two. According to Meta, KolourOptik technology for nano-optic security features offers a solution addressing both of these priorities.

For more information about QUANTUM stripe, please visit: https://metamaterial.com/banknote/products/quantum-stripe-banknote-security/.