Optical multiple-image encryption based on phase encoding algorithm in the Fresnel transform domain

A novel method of the optical multiple-image encryption based on the modified Gerchberg–Saxton algorithm (MGSA) is presented. This proposed method with an architecture of two adjacent phase only functions (POFs) in the Fresnel transform (FrT) domain that can extremely increase capacity of system for completely avoiding the crosstalk between the decrypted images. Each encrypted target image is separately encoded into a POF by using the MGSA which is with constraining the encrypted target image. Each created POF is then added to a prescribed fixed POF composed of a proposed MGSA-based phase encoding algorithm. Not only the wavelength and multiple-position parameters in the FrT domain as keys to increase system security, the created POFs are also served mutually as the encryption keys to decrypt target image based on cascading two POFs scheme. Compared with prior methods [23] and [24], the main advantages of this proposed encryption system is that it does not need any transformative lenses and that makes it very efficient and easy to implement optically. Simulation results show that this proposed encryption system can successfully achieve the multiple-image encryption with multiple-position keys, which is more advantageous in security than previous work [24] for its decryption process with only two POFs keys to accomplish this task.

► A multiple-image encryption based on the modified Gerchberg–Saxton algorithm. ► A multiple-image encryption based on the modified Gerchberg–Saxton algorithm. ► This proposed method can extremely increase capacity of system. ► The proposed encryption system is very efficient and easy to implement optically.