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

Chinese Physics B

Optical encryption scheme based on spread spectrum ghost imaging

Jin-Fen Liu, Yue Dong, Le Wang, Shengmei Zhao

Published Feb 27, 2023• 7 citations
Publisher

Abstract

An optical encryption (OE) scheme based on the spread spectrum ghost imaging (SSGI), named as SSGI-OE, is proposed to obtain a high security with a smaller key. In the scheme, the randomly selected row number of a Hadamard matrix of order N is used as the secure key, and shared with the authorized user, Bob, through a private channel. Each corresponding row vector of the order-N Hadamard matrix is then used as the direct sequence code to modulate a speckle pattern for the ghost imaging system, and an image is encrypted with the help of the SSGI. The measurement results from the bucket detector, named as ciphertext, are then transmitted to Bob through a public channel. The illuminating speckle patterns are also shared with Bob by the public channel. With the correct secure key, Bob could reconstruct the image with the aid of the SSGI system, whereas the unauthorized user, Eve, could not obtain any useful information of the encrypted image. The numerical simulations and experimental results show that the proposed scheme is feasible with a higher security and a smaller key. For the 32 × 32 pixels image, the number of bits sent from Alice to Bob by using SSGI-OE (M = 1024, N = 2048) scheme is only 0.0107 times over a computational ghost imaging optical encryption scheme. When the eavesdropping ratio (ER) is less than 40%, the eavesdropper cannot acquire any information of the encrypted image. The extreme circumstance for the proposed SSGI-OE scheme is also discussed, where the eavesdropper begins to extract the information when ER is up to 15%.

DOI
10.1088/1674-1056/acbf27

Related papers

Optical encryption scheme based on ghost imaging with disordered speckles

Yu-dong Zhang, Shengmei Zhao

An optical encryption scheme based on a ghost imaging system with disordered speckles is proposed to obtain a higher security with a small key. In the scheme, Alice produces the random speckle patterns and obtains the detection results with the help of a computational ghost imaging (CGI) system. Then Alice permutes the order of the random speckle patterns and shares the permutation sequence as a secure key to the authorized users. With the secure key, Bob could recover the object with the principle of the CGI system, whereas, the unauthorized users could not obtain any information of the object. The numerical simulations and experimental results show that the proposed scheme is feasible with a small key, simultaneously, it has a higher security. When the eavesdropping ratio (ER) is less than 40%, the eavesdropper cannot acquire any useful information. Meanwhile, the authorized users could recover completely with the secure key.

Chinese Physics B•May 1, 2017•23 citations

Research on quantum key encrypted computing ghost imaging

Xiaogang Du, Jigui Mao, Yuning Han +3 more

As a computational imaging technology, computational ghost imaging has shown considerable potential for applications in many fields such as secure communication and remote sensing detection. However, the bucket detection value of traditional ghost imaging systems is prone to eavesdropping or tampering during transmission, resulting in information leakage or image distortion. In order to further enhance the security during the imaging process, this paper proposes a scheme for computing ghost imaging based on quantum key encryption. This method uses MATLAB simulation to generate random speckle values and bucket detection values. At the sending end, a QKD system is used to generate a truly random quantum key. The bucket detection value is encrypted using the one-time pad encryption algorithm, and the ciphertext and speckle values are sent to the receiving end through a classical channel; At the receiving end, the bucket detection value is decrypted using the corresponding quantum key, and the reconstruction of the target image is completed by combining the speckle value. Experiments have shown that the encrypted bucket detection value has extremely high security during transmission, and the quality of the decrypted reconstructed image can be measured by the peak signal-to-noise ratio. When the key is accurate, it can reach over 33dB, which is basically consistent with the results obtained from unencrypted imaging.

International Conference on Optical Communication, Signal Processing, and Optical Engineering (OCSPOE)•Apr 14, 2026•0 citations

Optical encryption with selective computational ghost imaging

Mohammad Zafari, Reza Kheradmand, Sohrab Ahmadi-Kandjani

Selective computational ghost imaging (SCGI) is a technique which enables the reconstruction of an N-pixel image from N measurements or less. In this paper we propose an optical encryption method based on SCGI and experimentally demonstrate that this method has much higher security under eavesdropping and unauthorized accesses compared with previous reported methods.

Journal of Optics•Sep 23, 2014•43 citations

Multiple-image encryption scheme with a single-pixel detector

Sheng Yuan, Xuemei Liu, Xin Zhou +1 more

A multiple-image encryption (MIE) scheme with a single-pixel detector has been proposed according to the principle of ghost imaging. In this scheme, each of the spatially coherent laser beams is modified by a set of phase-mask keys and illuminates on a secret image. All of the transmitted lights are recorded together by a single-pixel (bucket) detector to obtain a ciphertext, but anyone of the secret images can be decrypted from the ciphertext independently without any mutually overlapped despite some noise in them. The MIE scheme will bring convenience for data storage and transmission, especially in the case that different secret images need to be distributed to different authorized users, because the ciphertext is a real-valued function and this scheme can effectively avoid the secret images being extracted mutually. The basic principle of the MIE scheme is described theoretically and verified by computer simulations. Finally, the feasibility, robustness and encryption capacity are also tested numerically.

Journal of Modern Optics•Feb 29, 2016•30 citations

Encryption of ghost imaging

Ling‐Jun Kong, Yongnan Li, Sheng-Xia Qian +3 more

We propose an approach for the optical encryption of ghost images reconstructed from the spatially correlated classical two-beam pairs. This approach has the capability of encrypting ghost images by flexibly manipulating the position correlation of a pair of ``signal'' and ``idler'' beams. We experimentally demonstrate that the perfect ghost image can be extracted by decrypting the encrypted information of an object, in particular, our approach under eavesdropping has a higher security for encryption compared with previous approaches.

Physical Review A•Jul 30, 2013•50 citations

Multi-object parallel optical encryption for single-pixel imaging security

Guohang Wu, Chongyang Zhang, Hongran Zeng +2 more

Multi-object optical encryption has emerged as a promising field for enhancing encryption performance and reducing communication overhead, which can ensure the security of single-pixel imaging. However, it faces some critical challenges like low efficiency, reliance on complex system design, high hardware costs, and the difficulty of parallel encryption with independent decryption, hindering practical deployment. In this work, an illumination pattern construction algorithm is proposed to generate projected basis patterns for parallel optical encryption, while a decoupling algorithm is developed to demodulate coupled measurements to recover Hadamard spectrum for each object. Independent decryption is then performed using a random-order Hadamard matrix assigned to each object. The proposed method achieves multi-object parallel encryption and independent decryption using a lightweight optical system, with improved efficiency, lower hardware costs, and smaller ciphertext size compared to conventional methods. In addition, it also exhibits robustness against both cropping and noise attacks. These results indicate potential for practical applications and may contribute to future developments in multi-object optical encryption for single-pixel imaging security.

Optics Express•Jul 24, 2025•4 citations
An optical encryption (OE) scheme based on the spread spectrum ghost imaging (SSGI), named as SSGI-OE, is proposed to obtain a high security with a smaller key. In the scheme, the randomly selected row number of a Hadamard matrix of order N is used as the secure key, and shared with the authorized user, Bob, through a private channel. Each corresponding row vector of the order-N Hadamard matrix is then used as the direct sequence code to modulate a speckle pattern for the ghost imaging system, and an image is encrypted with the help of the SSGI. The measurement results from the bucket detector, named as ciphertext, are then transmitted to Bob through a public channel. The illuminating speckle patterns are also shared with Bob by the public channel. With the correct secure key, Bob could reconstruct the image with the aid of the SSGI system, whereas the unauthorized user, Eve, could not obtain any useful information of the encrypted image. The numerical simulations and experimental results show that the proposed scheme is feasible with a higher security and a smaller key. For the 32 × 32 pixels image, the number of bits sent from Alice to Bob by using SSGI-OE (M = 1024, N = 2048) scheme is only 0.0107 times over a computational ghost imaging optical encryption scheme. When the eavesdropping ratio (ER) is less than 40%, the eavesdropper cannot acquire any information of the encrypted image. The extreme circumstance for the proposed SSGI-OE scheme is also discussed, where the eavesdropper begins to extract the information when ER is up to 15%.
An optical encryption scheme based on a ghost imaging system with disordered speckles is proposed to obtain a higher security with a small key. In the scheme, Alice produces the random speckle patterns and obtains the detection results with the help of a computational ghost imaging (CGI) system. Then Alice permutes the order of the random speckle patterns and shares the permutation sequence as a secure key to the authorized users. With the secure key, Bob could recover the object with the principle of the CGI system, whereas, the unauthorized users could not obtain any information of the object. The numerical simulations and experimental results show that the proposed scheme is feasible with a small key, simultaneously, it has a higher security. When the eavesdropping ratio (ER) is less than 40%, the eavesdropper cannot acquire any useful information. Meanwhile, the authorized users could recover completely with the secure key.
As a computational imaging technology, computational ghost imaging has shown considerable potential for applications in many fields such as secure communication and remote sensing detection. However, the bucket detection value of traditional ghost imaging systems is prone to eavesdropping or tampering during transmission, resulting in information leakage or image distortion. In order to further enhance the security during the imaging process, this paper proposes a scheme for computing ghost imaging based on quantum key encryption. This method uses MATLAB simulation to generate random speckle values and bucket detection values. At the sending end, a QKD system is used to generate a truly random quantum key. The bucket detection value is encrypted using the one-time pad encryption algorithm, and the ciphertext and speckle values are sent to the receiving end through a classical channel; At the receiving end, the bucket detection value is decrypted using the corresponding quantum key, and the reconstruction of the target image is completed by combining the speckle value. Experiments have shown that the encrypted bucket detection value has extremely high security during transmission, and the quality of the decrypted reconstructed image can be measured by the peak signal-to-noise ratio. When the key is accurate, it can reach over 33dB, which is basically consistent with the results obtained from unencrypted imaging.
A multiple-image encryption (MIE) scheme with a single-pixel detector has been proposed according to the principle of ghost imaging. In this scheme, each of the spatially coherent laser beams is modified by a set of phase-mask keys and illuminates on a secret image. All of the transmitted lights are recorded together by a single-pixel (bucket) detector to obtain a ciphertext, but anyone of the secret images can be decrypted from the ciphertext independently without any mutually overlapped despite some noise in them. The MIE scheme will bring convenience for data storage and transmission, especially in the case that different secret images need to be distributed to different authorized users, because the ciphertext is a real-valued function and this scheme can effectively avoid the secret images being extracted mutually. The basic principle of the MIE scheme is described theoretically and verified by computer simulations. Finally, the feasibility, robustness and encryption capacity are also tested numerically.
We propose an approach for the optical encryption of ghost images reconstructed from the spatially correlated classical two-beam pairs. This approach has the capability of encrypting ghost images by flexibly manipulating the position correlation of a pair of ``signal'' and ``idler'' beams. We experimentally demonstrate that the perfect ghost image can be extracted by decrypting the encrypted information of an object, in particular, our approach under eavesdropping has a higher security for encryption compared with previous approaches.
Multi-object optical encryption has emerged as a promising field for enhancing encryption performance and reducing communication overhead, which can ensure the security of single-pixel imaging. However, it faces some critical challenges like low efficiency, reliance on complex system design, high hardware costs, and the difficulty of parallel encryption with independent decryption, hindering practical deployment. In this work, an illumination pattern construction algorithm is proposed to generate projected basis patterns for parallel optical encryption, while a decoupling algorithm is developed to demodulate coupled measurements to recover Hadamard spectrum for each object. Independent decryption is then performed using a random-order Hadamard matrix assigned to each object. The proposed method achieves multi-object parallel encryption and independent decryption using a lightweight optical system, with improved efficiency, lower hardware costs, and smaller ciphertext size compared to conventional methods. In addition, it also exhibits robustness against both cropping and noise attacks. These results indicate potential for practical applications and may contribute to future developments in multi-object optical encryption for single-pixel imaging security.