Quantum Image Encryption Algorithm Based on Quantum Image XOR Operations

A novel encryption algorithm for quantum images based on quantum image XOR operations is designed. The quantum image XOR operations are designed by using the hyper-chaotic sequences generated with the Chen’s hyper-chaotic system to control the control-NOT operation, which is used to encode gray-level information. The initial conditions of the Chen’s hyper-chaotic system are the keys, which guarantee the security of the proposed quantum image encryption algorithm. Numerical simulations and theoretical analyses demonstrate that the proposed quantum image encryption algorithm has larger key space, higher key sensitivity, stronger resistance of statistical analysis and lower computational complexity than its classical counterparts.