Double image encryption based on phase-amplitude hybrid encoding and iterative phase encoding in fractional Fourier transform domains

A new method for double image encryption is proposed that is based on amplitude-phase hybrid encoding and iterative random phase encoding in fractional Fourier transform (FrFT) domains. In the iterative random phase encoding operation, a binary random matrix is defined to encode two original images to a single complex-valued image, which is then converted into a stationary white noise image by the iterative phase encoding with FrFTs. Compared with the previous schemes that uses fully phase encoding, the proposed method reduces the difference between two original images in key space and sensitivity to the FrFT orders. The primitive images can be retrieved exactly by applying correct keys with initial conditions of chaotic system, the pixel scrambling operation and the FrFT orders. Computer simulations demonstrate that the encryption method has impressively high security level and certain robustness against data loss and noise interference.