Abstract Quantum information hiding is a crucial branch within the field of information security, but existing algorithms frequently neglect the significance of quantum cover images. Consequently, this paper presents an improved quantum reversible data hiding scheme based on histogram shifting, which utilizes the novel enhanced quantum representation model and the quantum probability image encoding model to represent the image. Moreover, quantum analog-to-digital conversion is utilized to convert the probability amplitudes representing the histogram data into a qubit string. This allows for the identification of histogram peak and zero points via maximum and minimum values quantum finding algorithms. Subsequently, quantum parallelism is exploited to shift pixels situated between peak and zero points towards the zero points, thereby embedding secret information into the peak point pixels. Furthermore, a quantum circuit is designed to completely extract the secret information and achieve lossless recovery of the cover image. Complexity analysis of the quantum circuit reveals that the complexity is determined by the image grayscale rather than its size, and simulation experiments demonstrate that the proposed scheme illustrate that the proposed scheme attains superior visual quality compared to existing works.
Abstract Quantum information hiding is a crucial branch within the field of information security, but existing algorithms frequently neglect the significance of quantum cover images. Consequently, this paper presents an improved quantum reversible data hiding scheme based on histogram shifting, which utilizes the novel enhanced quantum representation model and the quantum probability image encoding model to represent the image. Moreover, quantum analog-to-digital conversion is utilized to convert the probability amplitudes representing the histogram data into a qubit string. This allows for the identification of histogram peak and zero points via maximum and minimum values quantum finding algorithms. Subsequently, quantum parallelism is exploited to shift pixels situated between peak and zero points towards the zero points, thereby embedding secret information into the peak point pixels. Furthermore, a quantum circuit is designed to completely extract the secret information and achieve lossless recovery of the cover image. Complexity analysis of the quantum circuit reveals that the complexity is determined by the image grayscale rather than its size, and simulation experiments demonstrate that the proposed scheme illustrate that the proposed scheme attains superior visual quality compared to existing works.
At present, quantum image data hiding technology is restricted by high fidelity and embedding capacity, which frequently leads to permanent distortion of carrier images.A reversible data hiding method based on quantum controlled-NOT (CNOT) gate operation was proposed in the present study to satisfy the requirements of embedding capacity and visual quality and recover the original carrier image without loss.First, the hidden and carrier images were represented by a novel enhanced quantum representation of digital images.The hidden images were then encrypted and scrambled by employing chaos method.The quantum secret image was embedded into the relevant bit plane of the quantum carrier image considering quantum CNOT gate operation.The quantum key image was also generated.Finally, the current work not only extracted the quantum secret image without error but also recovered the carrier image without loss via inverse quantum CNOT gate operation.Simulation experiments were conducted to analyze embedding concealment and visual quality of the embedded steganographic images.Results demonstrate that the quantum circuit based on quantum CNOT gate operation not only enhances the embedding concealment but also improves the peak signal-to-noise ratio at the embedding capacity of 2 bits per pixel by 10% compared with the traditional least significant bit method.Thus, this operation achieves the lossless recovery of the original quantum carrier image.This study also provides certain theoretical importance and practical value for the security authentication and protection of quantum images.
Information hiding based on quantum images mostly adopts the least significant qubit (LSQb) algorithm, which is constrained by the performance indexes of the quality of vision and capacity of imbedding. To meet the requirements of the quality of vision, capacity of imbedding, and the security of the embedded information, this paper proposes a data hiding method for quantum image based on genetic algorithm. Firstly, an enhanced quantum model of digital images is used to represent the image, and a chaotic method is used to encrypt and disrupt the image to be hidden. By designing quantum operations such as selection, crossover and mutation, the secret image is embedded into the relevant qubit plane of the quantum cover image. Finally, the quantum secret image is extracted through the quantum line inverse operation. Simulation results show that the quantum image information hiding method based on genetic algorithm not only enhances the embedding security, but also improves the PSNR by about 9% compared to the LSQb method with the same embedding capacity. The research results have theoretical significance and practical value for research related to quantum image information security and protection.
Quantum steganography is a technology which can hide information effectively for achieving copyright protection. In this paper, a quantum steganography scheme using quantum wavelet transform and the novel enhanced quantum representation for quantum image is proposed, and this scheme can embed the secret text of size [Formula: see text] into a [Formula: see text] gray-scale carrier image. In the scrambling operation, the text is scrambled by the scrambling circuit including bit-reverse, quantum equal and CNOT gate to improve its security. Before embedding, the carrier image is first transformed by 1-level quantum Haar wavelet transform, and then its low-frequency part is divided into blocks. The simulation results suggest that the proposed scheme has good performance in visual quality and robustness. Finally, through the analysis of circuit complexity, the scheme has low complexity O(n).
Quantum image watermarking technology is influenced by embedding algorithm, which permanently distorts the embedded quantum carrier image.To protect and authenticate quantum images without damaging the carrier images, this study proposed a quantum image reversible watermarking algorithm combining the most significant qubit (MSQb) and the least significant qubit (LSQb).First, a binary watermark image, a grayscale carrier image, and an empty key image were represented using the novel enhanced quantum representation of digital images.Second, the encrypted qubit of the binary watermark image was matched with the MSQb of the carrier image.If they were equal, then the high qubit of the quantum key image was flipped.Otherwise, the encrypted qubit of the binary watermark image was matched with the XOR value of the lowest two qubits of the carrier image.The LSQb of the carrier image was modified according to the matching result.Finally, the quantum watermarked image was obtained.Simulation experiments and theoretical analysis verified the feasibility and watermark performance of the scheme.Results demonstrate that the scheme achieves correct extraction of quantum image watermark and lossless restoration of original image.The visual quality PSNR of the carrier image embedded with watermark through the scheme is improved by approximately 4% compared with that through the traditional LSQb method.The study provides a reference for studying and implementing reversible image watermarking technology in the era of quantum computer, which can be applied to harsh copyright protection and authentication of the visual quality of the original carrier image.
Based on the NEQR representation of quantum grayscale images and binary images, the optimal LSBs-based quantum watermarking scheme is investigated in this paper, which embeds several binary images (watermark images) into a grayscale image (cover image). The size of the cover image and secret image are both assumed to be [Formula: see text]. Compared to quantum simple LSBs substitution method generating one stego-pixel, our presented quantum optimal LSBs-based method can generate three stego-pixel simultaneously first. Then one of them with lowest visual distortion is chosen as the final stego-pixel. To this end, first of all, the quantum circuits for a few basic quantum modules (i.e. Quantum Comparator, Parallel CNOT, Parallel Swap, ADDER MOD, Subtracter (SUB.ER) MOD and Absolute Value) are predefined. Following that, based on these simple modules, two composite quantum modules (i.e. the ADDER and SUB.ER MOD [Formula: see text] module and Choose final stego-pixel module) are further constructed. With the help of the basic and composite quantum modules, the integrated quantum circuit implementation of the optimal LSBs-based quantum watermark images embedding/extracting procedures are illustrated. Then, the experiment result are simulated under the classical computer software MATLAB 2014(b), which illustrates our presented optimal LSBs-based quantum watermarking methods are superior to the simple LSBs scheme in terms of PSNR and histogram graphs on the basis of visual effect, and the circuit’s complexity analysis also demonstrates our investigated scheme with a very low computational complexity. Finally, we analyze the security of quantum cryptography system, which verifies the quantum watermarking data can be securely transmitted to other legal normal users.
Based on the novel enhanced quantum representation for quantum image (NEQR), a new blind quantum steganography scheme is proposed. In this scheme, an improved quantum representation of text utilizing ASCII is provided that uses two qubit sequences to store the same quantum text message. The general embedding process of the scheme is as follows: firstly, the cover image of sized \n\n\n2\nn\n\n√ó\n\n2\nn\n\n\n will be divided into eight blocks of sized \n\n\n2\n\nn\n‚àí\n2\n\n\n√ó\n\n2\n\nn\n‚àí\n1\n\n\n\n, and the secret quantum text of sized \n\n\n2\n\nn\n‚àí\n2\n\n\n√ó\n\n2\n\nn\n‚àí\n1\n\n\n\n is scrambled by Gray code transform method. Then, the disorder quantum text is embedded into the eight blocks of cover image employing the Gray code as a judgment condition. Meanwhile, the corresponding quantum circuits are drawn. Through the analysis of all quantum circuits, it can be concluded that the scheme has a lower complexity, that is, O(n). And the performance of the proposed scheme is analyzing in terms of simulation results of three items: visual quality, circuit complexity, and robustness.