Optical color image encryption by wavelength multiplexing and lensless Fresnel transform holograms

We propose what we believe is a new method for color image encryption by use of wavelength multiplexing based on lensless Fresnel transform holograms. An image is separated into three channels: red, green, and blue, and each channel is independently encrypted. The system parameters of Fresnel transforms and random phase masks in each channel are keys in image encryption and decryption. An optical color image coding configuration with multichannel implementation and an optoelectronic color image encryption architecture with single-channel implementation are presented. The keys can be added by iteratively employing the Fresnel transforms. Computer simulations are given to prove the possibility of the proposed idea. (c) 2006 Optical Society of America.