Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

IEEE Sensors Applications Symposium (SAS)

Optical stealth communication for smart sensor networks

Ben Wu, Youness Ergaibi

Published Jan 1, 2017• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

The principle and performance of optical stealth communication technique is summarized and its applications to smart sensor networks are proposed. Optical stealth communication, which is also known as optical steganography, hides information in wide band analog noise. The wide band and fast changing noise protects the stealth information from being detected and recorded by an eavesdropper. If the matching condition cannot be achieved when receiving the stealth information, the information is permanently lost and cannot be recovered by post-processing techniques. The optical stealth communication technique is proposed to protect the sensing information in smart sensor networks. Private information in both the fronthaul connections and the communications between the sensor nodes and the wireless stations can be hidden in the optical stealth communication channels.

DOI
10.1109/sas.2017.7894111

Related papers

Free-space optical stealth communication based on wide-band spontaneous emission

Qi Yang, Jie Li, Chengli Wei +1 more

We proposed and experimentally demonstrated a free-space optical stealth communication system that hides the stealth signal in wide-band spontaneous emission noise. Spontaneous emission light sources have been widely used for illuminations and has been recently deployed for short distance and indoor free-space optical communications, such as LiFi. Since free-space optical communication is a broadcasting network, the users’ privacy is exposed to eavesdropping attacks. In this paper, stealth communication is achieved by taking advantage of the existing properties of spontaneous emission light sources, random phase fluctuations, and protects users’ privacy in free-space communication networks. The keys to hide and recover the stealth signal are the optical delays at the transmitter and receiver. Only by matching the delay length with the pre-shared keys can the authorized receiver recover the stealth signal. Without the right key, the eavesdropper receives a constant power that is the same as illumination light sources and cannot detect the existence of the stealth signal.

Optics Continuum•Nov 2, 2022•7 citations

Optical Signal Processing and Stealth Transmission for Privacy

Ben Wu, Bhavin J. Shastri, Prateek Mittal +2 more

Optical encryption, key generation, and optical stealth transmission techniques for protecting the privacy of communication in optical networks are proposed and summarized. The signal processing methods based on fiber components provide ways to encrypt data and generate encryption keys at the speed of data transmission in optical fibers. Private and confidential communication is achieved without compromising the capacity and bandwidth of the optical network. Optical stealth transmission can hide the signal in plain sight. Because an eavesdropper can neither read the data nor detect the existence of the transmitted signal, optical stealth transmission provides a higher level of privacy. A hybrid system which includes both the public channels and stealth channels can effectively provide anonymous communication and defend against traffic analysis.

IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Signal Processing•Apr 20, 2015•32 citations

Amplifier Noise Based Optical Steganography with Coherent Detection

Ben Wu, Matthew P. Chang, Naomi R. Caldwell +2 more

Abstract We summarize the principle and experimental setup of optical steganography based on amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise. Using ASE noise as the signal carrier, optical steganography effectively hides a stealth channel in both the time domain and the frequency domain. Coherent detection is used at the receiver of the stealth channel. Because ASE noise has short coherence length and random phase, it only interferes with itself within a very short range. Coherent detection requires the stealth transmitter and stealth receiver to precisely match the optical delay,which generates a large key space for the stealth channel. Several methods to further improve optical steganography, signal to noise ratio, compatibility with the public channel, and applications of the stealth channel are also summarized in this review paper.

Coherent Phenomena•Jan 23, 2014•6 citations

Secure optical communications using quantum dot coherent comb lasers

Zhenguo Lü, Yang Qi, Mostafa Khalil +8 more

Secure optical communications involve securing data transmitted over optical networks, primarily using technologies like optical encryption to protect data in transit. We have developed an optical steganography communication technique based on a quantum dot coherent comb laser, laser channels have strong correlated phase relationship. Each stealth channel uses two comb lines, which operates through two paired Mach-Zehnder interferometers. One line carries data, while the other serves as a reference. At the transmitter, phase modulation adds data to one comb line. An optical delay introduces a mismatch between the two lines to make the data undetectable to others. At the receiver, a programmable tunable delay matches the assigned delays from the different stealth channels. If the tunable delay matches the delay difference between the two-comb lines, the signal is recovered. The system uses physical-layer encryption instead of digital encryption to ensure robust security, scalability, and real-time data protection without computational processing.

Physics and simulation of optoelectronic devices. Conference•Mar 5, 2026•0 citations

Temporal phase mask encrypted optical steganography carried by amplified spontaneous emission noise

Ben Wu, Zhenxing Wang, Bhavin J. Shastri +3 more

A temporal phase mask encryption method is proposed and experimentally demonstrated to improve the security of the stealth channel in an optical steganography system. The stealth channel is protected in two levels. In the first level, the data is carried by amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise, which cannot be detected in either the time domain or spectral domain. In the second level, even if the eavesdropper suspects the existence of the stealth channel, each data bit is covered by a fast changing phase mask. The phase mask code is always combined with the wide band noise from ASE. Without knowing the right phase mask code to recover the stealth data, the eavesdropper can only receive the noise like signal with randomized phase.

Optics Express•Jan 9, 2014•37 citations

Optical steganography based on amplified spontaneous emission noise

Ben Wu, Zhenxing Wang, Yue Tian +4 more

We propose and experimentally demonstrate an optical steganography method in which a data signal is transmitted using amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise as a carrier. The ASE serving as a carrier for the private signal has an identical frequency spectrum to the existing noise generated by the Erbium doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) in the transmission system. The system also carries a conventional data channel that is not private. The so-called "stealth" or private channel is well-hidden within the noise of the system. Phase modulation is used for both the stealth channel and the public channel. Using homodyne detection, the short coherence length of the ASE ensures that the stealth signal can only be recovered if the receiver closely matches the delay-length difference, which is deliberately changed in a dynamic fashion that is only known to the transmitter and its intended receiver.

Optics Express•Jan 18, 2013•101 citations
The principle and performance of optical stealth communication technique is summarized and its applications to smart sensor networks are proposed. Optical stealth communication, which is also known as optical steganography, hides information in wide band analog noise. The wide band and fast changing noise protects the stealth information from being detected and recorded by an eavesdropper. If the matching condition cannot be achieved when receiving the stealth information, the information is permanently lost and cannot be recovered by post-processing techniques. The optical stealth communication technique is proposed to protect the sensing information in smart sensor networks. Private information in both the fronthaul connections and the communications between the sensor nodes and the wireless stations can be hidden in the optical stealth communication channels.
We proposed and experimentally demonstrated a free-space optical stealth communication system that hides the stealth signal in wide-band spontaneous emission noise. Spontaneous emission light sources have been widely used for illuminations and has been recently deployed for short distance and indoor free-space optical communications, such as LiFi. Since free-space optical communication is a broadcasting network, the users’ privacy is exposed to eavesdropping attacks. In this paper, stealth communication is achieved by taking advantage of the existing properties of spontaneous emission light sources, random phase fluctuations, and protects users’ privacy in free-space communication networks. The keys to hide and recover the stealth signal are the optical delays at the transmitter and receiver. Only by matching the delay length with the pre-shared keys can the authorized receiver recover the stealth signal. Without the right key, the eavesdropper receives a constant power that is the same as illumination light sources and cannot detect the existence of the stealth signal.
Optical encryption, key generation, and optical stealth transmission techniques for protecting the privacy of communication in optical networks are proposed and summarized. The signal processing methods based on fiber components provide ways to encrypt data and generate encryption keys at the speed of data transmission in optical fibers. Private and confidential communication is achieved without compromising the capacity and bandwidth of the optical network. Optical stealth transmission can hide the signal in plain sight. Because an eavesdropper can neither read the data nor detect the existence of the transmitted signal, optical stealth transmission provides a higher level of privacy. A hybrid system which includes both the public channels and stealth channels can effectively provide anonymous communication and defend against traffic analysis.
Abstract We summarize the principle and experimental setup of optical steganography based on amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise. Using ASE noise as the signal carrier, optical steganography effectively hides a stealth channel in both the time domain and the frequency domain. Coherent detection is used at the receiver of the stealth channel. Because ASE noise has short coherence length and random phase, it only interferes with itself within a very short range. Coherent detection requires the stealth transmitter and stealth receiver to precisely match the optical delay,which generates a large key space for the stealth channel. Several methods to further improve optical steganography, signal to noise ratio, compatibility with the public channel, and applications of the stealth channel are also summarized in this review paper.
Secure optical communications involve securing data transmitted over optical networks, primarily using technologies like optical encryption to protect data in transit. We have developed an optical steganography communication technique based on a quantum dot coherent comb laser, laser channels have strong correlated phase relationship. Each stealth channel uses two comb lines, which operates through two paired Mach-Zehnder interferometers. One line carries data, while the other serves as a reference. At the transmitter, phase modulation adds data to one comb line. An optical delay introduces a mismatch between the two lines to make the data undetectable to others. At the receiver, a programmable tunable delay matches the assigned delays from the different stealth channels. If the tunable delay matches the delay difference between the two-comb lines, the signal is recovered. The system uses physical-layer encryption instead of digital encryption to ensure robust security, scalability, and real-time data protection without computational processing.
A temporal phase mask encryption method is proposed and experimentally demonstrated to improve the security of the stealth channel in an optical steganography system. The stealth channel is protected in two levels. In the first level, the data is carried by amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise, which cannot be detected in either the time domain or spectral domain. In the second level, even if the eavesdropper suspects the existence of the stealth channel, each data bit is covered by a fast changing phase mask. The phase mask code is always combined with the wide band noise from ASE. Without knowing the right phase mask code to recover the stealth data, the eavesdropper can only receive the noise like signal with randomized phase.
We propose and experimentally demonstrate an optical steganography method in which a data signal is transmitted using amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise as a carrier. The ASE serving as a carrier for the private signal has an identical frequency spectrum to the existing noise generated by the Erbium doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) in the transmission system. The system also carries a conventional data channel that is not private. The so-called "stealth" or private channel is well-hidden within the noise of the system. Phase modulation is used for both the stealth channel and the public channel. Using homodyne detection, the short coherence length of the ASE ensures that the stealth signal can only be recovered if the receiver closely matches the delay-length difference, which is deliberately changed in a dynamic fashion that is only known to the transmitter and its intended receiver.