Lensless optical data hiding system based on phase encoding algorithm in the Fresnel domain

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Information Security
• Digital Image Processing

Background:

• Optical data hiding is crucial for secure information transmission.
• Existing methods often require complex systems or numerous iterations.
• The Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm is a basis for phase retrieval and holographic display.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel and efficient algorithm for optical data hiding.
• To demonstrate the generation of pure phase-only masks (POMs) for data encoding.
• To validate the system's performance in terms of image quality, robustness, and security.

Main Methods:

• Developed a modified Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm (MGSA) operating in the Fresnel domain.
• Generated two pure phase-only masks (POMs) using the MGSA.
• Simulated a lensless optical data-hiding system for encoding and extraction.
• Utilized POM position coordinates and wavelength as secure keys.

Main Results:

• Successfully encoded and extracted a hidden image/logo with good quality.
• Achieved reconstruction errors close to zero.
• Demonstrated the robustness of the data-hiding technique through simulations.
• Verified the security and robustness using position coordinates and wavelength as keys.

Conclusions:

• The proposed MGSA-based optical data-hiding system is efficient and effective.
• The system offers high-quality image reconstruction and robust data extraction.
• The use of secure keys enhances information security and system robustness.