Quantum color image encryption: Dual scrambling scheme based on DNA codec and quantum Arnold transform

Abstract In the field of Internet, an image is of great significance to information transmission. Meanwhile, how to ensure and improve its security has become the focus of international research. We combine DNA codec with quantum Arnold transform (QArT) to propose a new double encryption algorithm for quantum color images to improve the security and robustness of image encryption. First, we utilize the biological characteristics of DNA codecs to perform encoding and decoding operations on pixel color information in quantum color images, and achieve pixel-level diffusion. Second, we use QArT to scramble the position information of quantum images and use the operated image as the key matrix for quantum XOR operations. All quantum operations in this paper are reversible, so the decryption operation of the ciphertext image can be realized by the reverse operation of the encryption process. We conduct simulation experiments on encryption and decryption using three color images of “Monkey”, “Flower”, and “House”. The experimental results show that the peak value and correlation of the encrypted images on the histogram have good similarity, and the average normalized pixel change rate (NPCR) of RGB three-channel is 99.61%, the average uniform average change intensity (UACI) is 33.41%, and the average information entropy is about 7.9992. In addition, the robustness of the proposed algorithm is verified by the simulation of noise interference in the actual scenario.