Enhanced exclusive-OR and quick response code-based image encryption through incoherent illumination
Praveen Kumar, Naveen Kumar Nishchal · Applied Optics · 2019
For practical application of any optical cryptographic technique, good quality decryption is necessary. Exclusive-OR (XOR) operation is a well-known technique for image encryption but faces the problem of quality degradation, while optically implemented. One of the reasons for quality degradation is the presence of laser speckles. The other reason is the noise that induces around image pixels. In this study, we demonstrate an image encryption using XOR operation based on light-emitting diode (LED) and quick response code, which not only reduces the damage caused by speckles but also overcomes the noise problem. The results with green and white LEDs and laser sources have been compared. Overall, the proposed optical cryptosystem is simple, compact, and cost-effective.