Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 April 2021
We give applications of integral canonical models of orthogonal Shimura varieties and the Kuga-Satake morphism to the arithmetic of $K3$ surfaces over finite fields. We prove that every $K3$ surface of finite height over a finite field admits a characteristic $0$ lifting whose generic fibre is a $K3$ surface with complex multiplication. Combined with the results of Mukai and Buskin, we prove the Tate conjecture for the square of a $K3$ surface over a finite field. To obtain these results, we construct an analogue of Kisin’s algebraic group for a $K3$ surface of finite height and construct characteristic $0$ liftings of the $K3$ surface preserving the action of tori in the algebraic group. We obtain these results for $K3$ surfaces over finite fields of any characteristics, including those of characteristic $2$ or $3$.