Linear exchanging operation and random phase encoding in gyrator transform domain for double image encryption

We present an optical method for double image encryption by using linear exchanging operation and double random phase encoding (DRPE) in the gyrator transform (GT) domain. In the linear exchanging operation, two primitive images are linearly recombined via a random orthogonal transform matrix. The resultant blended images are employed to constitute a complex-valued image, which is then encoded into a noise-like encrypted image by a DRPE structure in the GT domain. One can recover the primitive images exactly with all decryption keys correctly applied, including the transform orders, the random phase masks and random angle function used for linear exchanging operation. Computer simulations have been given to demonstrate that the proposed scheme eliminates the difference in key spaces between the phase-based image and the amplitude-based image encountered in the previous schemes. Moreover, our scheme has considerably high security level and certain robustness against data loss and noise disturbance.