Quantum communication has achieved significant performance gains compared to classical systems but remains sensitive to channel noise and decoherence. These limitations become especially critical in quantum image transmission, where high-dimensional visual data must be preserved with both structural fidelity and robustness. In this context, transform-based quantum encoding methods have emerged as promising approaches, yet their relative performance under noisy conditions has not been fully explored. This paper presents a comparative study of two such methods, the quantum Fourier transform (QFT) and the quantum Haar wavelet transform (QHWT), within an image transmission framework. The process begins with source coding (JPEG/HEIF), followed by channel coding to enhance error resilience. The bitstreams are then mapped into quantum states using variable qubit encoding and transformed using either QFT or QHWT prior to transmission over noisy quantum channels. At the receiver, the corresponding decoding operations are applied to reconstruct the images. Simulation results demonstrate that the QFT achieves superior performance under noisy conditions, consistently delivering higher Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM), and Universal Quality Index (UQI) values across different qubit sizes and image formats compared to the QHWT. This advantage arises because QFT uniformly spreads information across all basis states, making it more resilient to noise. By contrast, QHWT generates localized coefficients that capture structural details effectively but become highly vulnerable when dominant coefficients are corrupted. Consequently, while QHWT emphasizes structural fidelity, QFT provides superior robustness, underscoring a fundamental trade-off in quantum image communication.
Quantum communication has achieved significant performance gains compared to classical systems but remains sensitive to channel noise and decoherence. These limitations become especially critical in quantum image transmission, where high-dimensional visual data must be preserved with both structural fidelity and robustness. In this context, transform-based quantum encoding methods have emerged as promising approaches, yet their relative performance under noisy conditions has not been fully explored. This paper presents a comparative study of two such methods, the quantum Fourier transform (QFT) and the quantum Haar wavelet transform (QHWT), within an image transmission framework. The process begins with source coding (JPEG/HEIF), followed by channel coding to enhance error resilience. The bitstreams are then mapped into quantum states using variable qubit encoding and transformed using either QFT or QHWT prior to transmission over noisy quantum channels. At the receiver, the corresponding decoding operations are applied to reconstruct the images. Simulation results demonstrate that the QFT achieves superior performance under noisy conditions, consistently delivering higher Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM), and Universal Quality Index (UQI) values across different qubit sizes and image formats compared to the QHWT. This advantage arises because QFT uniformly spreads information across all basis states, making it more resilient to noise. By contrast, QHWT generates localized coefficients that capture structural details effectively but become highly vulnerable when dominant coefficients are corrupted. Consequently, while QHWT emphasizes structural fidelity, QFT provides superior robustness, underscoring a fundamental trade-off in quantum image communication.
This paper proposes a novel quantum image transmission framework to address the limitations of existing single-qubit time domain systems, which struggle with noise resilience and scalability. The framework integrates frequency domain processing with multi-qubit (1 to 8 qubits) encoding to enhance robustness against quantum noise. Initially, images are source-coded using JPEG and HEIF formats with rate adjustment to ensure consistent bandwidth usage. The resulting bitstreams are channel-encoded and mapped to multi-qubit quantum states. These states are transformed into the frequency domain via the quantum Fourier transform (QFT) for transmission. At the receiver, the inverse QFT recovers the time domain states, followed by multi-qubit decoding, channel decoding, and source decoding to reconstruct the image. Performance is evaluated using bit error rate (BER), peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity index measure (SSIM), and universal quality index (UQI). Results show that increasing the number of qubits enhances image quality and noise robustness, albeit at the cost of increased system complexity. Compared to time domain processing, the frequency domain approach achieves superior performance across all qubit configurations, with the eight-qubit system delivering up to a 4 dB maximum channel SNR gain for both JPEG and HEIF images. Although single-qubit systems benefit less from frequency domain encoding due to limited representational capacity, the overall framework demonstrates strong potential for scalable and noise-robust quantum image transmission in future quantum communication networks.
Quantum communication enables high-fidelity image transmission but is vulnerable to channel noise, and while advanced quantum error correction (QEC) can reduce such effects, its complexity and time-domain dependence limit practical efficiency. This paper presents a novel, low-complexity, and noise-resilient quantum image transmission framework that operates in the frequency domain using the quantum Fourier transform (QFT) combined with the three-qubit QEC code. In the proposed system, input images are first source-encoded (JPEG/HEIF) and mapped to quantum states using single-qubit superposition encoding. Three-qubit QEC is then applied for channel protection, effectively safeguarding the encoded data against quantum errors. The channel-encoded quantum data are subsequently transformed via QFT for transmission over noisy quantum channels. At the receiver, the inverse QFT recovers the frequency-domain representation, after which three-qubit error correction, quantum decoding, and corresponding source decoding are performed to reconstruct the image. Results are analyzed using bit error rate (BER), peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity index measure (SSIM), and universal quality index (UQI). Experimental results show that the proposed quantum frequency-domain approach achieves up to 4 dB channel SNR gain over equivalent quantum time-domain methods and up to 10 dB over an equivalent-bandwidth classical communication system, regardless of the image format. These findings highlight the practical advantages of integrating QFT-based transmission with lightweight QEC, offering an efficient, scalable, and noise-tolerant solution for future quantum communication networks.
Reliable transmission of compressed images over error-prone channels remains challenging because compressed bitstreams are highly sensitive to channel impairments. Although existing quantum-inspired encoding schemes exploit superposition to improve transmission reliability, they remain vulnerable to channel noise, limiting reconstructed image quality. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a chirp transform-based multi-qubit encoding framework for robust compressed image transmission. Unlike conventional transform-based approaches, including the Hadamard transform and Quantum Fourier Transform (QFT), the proposed framework introduces nonlinear (quadratic) phase modulation into the multi-qubit representation, producing a high-dimensional superposition that enhances noise resilience through improved phase separability. This nonlinear phase variation improves error resilience through phase-induced decorrelation, reducing noise-induced distortions. The system integrates Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) and High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF) source encoding, followed by channel coding, multi-qubit encoding, and chirp transformation before transmission through a simulated quantum channel. At the receiver, inverse chirp transformation, measurement-based decoding, channel decoding, and source decoding reconstruct the transmitted image. Performance is evaluated using Bit Error Rate (BER), Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM), and Universal Quality Index (UQI). Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed framework achieves up to a 3 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gain over QFT-based and Hadamard-based systems in the single-qubit configuration. For the eight-qubit configuration, gains of up to 2 dB over QFT-based systems and 7 dB over Hadamard-based systems are achieved. These results demonstrate the effectiveness and scalability of the proposed framework for robust compressed image transmission over noisy quantum communication channels.
Reliable transmission of compressed images over error-prone channels remains challenging because compressed bitstreams are highly sensitive to channel impairments. Although existing quantum-inspired encoding schemes exploit superposition to improve transmission reliability, they remain vulnerable to channel noise, limiting reconstructed image quality. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a chirp transform-based multi-qubit encoding framework for robust compressed image transmission. Unlike conventional transform-based approaches, including the Hadamard transform and Quantum Fourier Transform (QFT), the proposed framework introduces nonlinear (quadratic) phase modulation into the multi-qubit representation, producing a high-dimensional superposition that enhances noise resilience through improved phase separability. This nonlinear phase variation improves error resilience through phase-induced decorrelation, reducing noise-induced distortions. The system integrates Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) and High Efficiency Image File Format (HEIF) source encoding, followed by channel coding, multi-qubit encoding, and chirp transformation before transmission through a simulated quantum channel. At the receiver, inverse chirp transformation, measurement-based decoding, channel decoding, and source decoding reconstruct the transmitted image. Performance is evaluated using Bit Error Rate (BER), Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM), and Universal Quality Index (UQI). Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed framework achieves up to a 3 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gain over QFT-based and Hadamard-based systems in the single-qubit configuration. For the eight-qubit configuration, gains of up to 2 dB over QFT-based systems and 7 dB over Hadamard-based systems are achieved. These results demonstrate the effectiveness and scalability of the proposed framework for robust compressed image transmission over noisy quantum communication channels.
Multi-qubit encoding is a quantum encoding technique that uses multiple qubits to represent information, enabling higher data throughput. This study explores its application in compressed image transmission, comparing its performance to single-qubit encoding in both uncoded and channel-coded configurations. For image compression, JPEG and HEIF formats are used, with source coding rates adjusted to ensure similar bandwidth utilization. The compressed bitstream is optionally protected by channel coding before undergoing quantum encoding using qubit sizes from 1 to 8 for quantum channel transmission. At the receiver, quantum decoding reconstructs classical bits, followed by optional channel decoding, and finally, source decoding restores the image. Image quality is assessed using peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity index measure (SSIM) and universal quality index (UQI). Results show that increasing the qubit encoding size improves noise resilience, with eight-qubit encoding achieving a maximum channel SNR gain of 15 dB for JPEG and 17 dB for HEIF under channel coding, demonstrating greater robustness compared to single-qubit encoding but with higher computational complexity. To address this, an adaptive multi-qubit encoding process is proposed, dynamically adjusting qubit usage by utilizing fewer qubits for lower noise levels and higher qubits for higher noise conditions while balancing noise resilience and computational complexity under the assumption of perfect channel estimation.
Quantum image transmission is a critical enabler for next-generation communication systems, allowing for the reliable exchange of high-quality visual data over error-prone quantum channels. Existing quantum-encoding schemes, however, often suffer from limited efficiency and reduced robustness under noisy conditions. This work introduces a novel multi-qubit phase-shift keying (PSK) encoding framework to enhance both fidelity and reliability in quantum image transmission. In the proposed system, source-encoded images (JPEG/HEIF) are converted into bitstreams, segmented into varying qubit sizes from 1 to 8, and mapped onto multi-qubit states using quantum PSK modulation. By exploiting multi-qubit superposition and phase modulation, the scheme improves spectral efficiency while maintaining resilience to channel noise. The encoded quantum states are transmitted through noisy channels and reconstructed via inverse quantum operations combined with classical post-processing to recover the original images. Experimental results demonstrate substantial performance improvements, evaluated using peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), structural similarity index (SSIM), and universal quality index (UQI). Compared to superposition-only approaches, the proposed method achieves up to 3 dB SNR gain for higher qubit sizes, while single-qubit encoding remains limited due to reduced phase utilization. Moreover, relative to classical communication systems, the proposed multi-qubit PSK scheme consistently outperforms across all tested qubit sizes, highlighting its effectiveness for reliable, efficient, and high-fidelity quantum image transmission.