Definition ∞ Laser speckle refers to a random granular pattern observed when a coherent light source, such as a laser, illuminates a rough surface. This pattern arises from the interference of scattered light waves. In security applications, these unique patterns can serve as a physical unclonable function (PUF) for device authentication. It provides a distinct, non-reproducible optical signature.
Context ∞ News mentions of laser speckle in technology often pertain to advanced physical security and anti-counterfeiting measures for hardware components. Its application in securing digital asset hardware wallets or verifying supply chain items is an area of ongoing research. The inherent randomness of speckle patterns makes them valuable for generating cryptographic keys or unique device identifiers.