SECURITY DOCUMENT USING OPTICAL FIBERS AND AUTHENTICATION METHOD

摘要

A security document comprising a substrate containing at least one optical fiber of which at least one end is flush with a surface of the substrate so as to permit authentication of the document by a test based on the exposure of the document to a source of electromagnetic radiation and simultaneous observation of the radiation transmitted to either end of the optical fiber. The optical fiber has a transparent coating and is located within the substrate at a depth from at least one surface of the substrate which is not greater than the depth of penetration of the electromagnetic radiation into the substrate. The radiation which penetrates the substrate to the optical fiber is trapped in the optical fiber and transmitted to at least one end at which it is observed to authenticate the document.