Encryption by using matrix-added, or matrix-multiplied input images placed in the input plane of a double random phase encoding geometry

In this paper, we describe image encryption by combining the images with several matrices made with letters/numerals and placed in the input plane of a double random phase encoding (DRPE) system. Addition or multiplication of several such matrices with an input image provides a modified image pattern which is encrypted in a DRPE system utilizing the 4-f geometry. For gray scale images, the results of encryption in case of addition of matrices are found more reliable and secure as compared to the results of multiplication. Simulation results are presented in support of the idea. Reliability of the technique has been established by evaluating the mean square-error (MSE) between the decrypted and the original image.