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A Novel Quantum Image Steganography Algorithm Based on Double-Layer Gray Code

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Abstract

In the development of quantum image steganography, the visual effect of the image has always been the focus of scholars’ research. Based on the classical Gray code algorithm and the least significant bit (LSB) algorithm, a novel quantum image steganography algorithm is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the Arnold scrambling method is used to scramble the information image. In the meantime, the scrambled information image is expanded to the same size as the carrier image by using the quantum expansion method. Secondly, the double-layer Gray code rule is applied to the carrier pixels. This operation can reduce the change rate of LSB of carrier pixels. At the same time, the key image used in the extracting phase is generated. The key image improves the security of the algorithm. The classical Gray code algorithm needs to change 50% bits of the LSB of the carrier pixels when embedding. The proposed algorithm in this paper only needs to change 25% bits of the LSB of the carrier pixels when embedding. The PSNR value of the algorithm proposed in this paper can be around 54dB in the visual effect experiment, which is around 3dB higher than that of the classical Gray code algorithm. The robustness experiment is also better compared with other algorithms.

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Data Availability

The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

The authors declare that no funds, grants, or other support were received during the preparation of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Computer Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266590, Shandong, People’s Republic of China

    Jin-Liang Yao, Hong-Mei Yang, Jeng-Shyang Pan & Meng-Xi Wang

  2. College of Mathematics and Systems Science, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266590, Shandong, People’s Republic of China

    Dong-Huan Jiang

  3. College of Electronic and Information Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266590, Shandong, People’s Republic of China

    Bin Yan

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  1. Jin-Liang Yao
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  2. Hong-Mei Yang
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  4. Bin Yan
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  5. Jeng-Shyang Pan
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by [Jin-Liang Yao], [Hong-Mei Yang], [Dong-Huan Jiang], [Bin Yan], [Jeng-Shyang Pan], [Meng-Xi Wang]. The first draft of the manuscript was written by [Jin-Liang Yao] and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Hong-Mei Yang.

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Yao, JL., Yang, HM., Jiang, DH. et al. A Novel Quantum Image Steganography Algorithm Based on Double-Layer Gray Code. Int J Theor Phys 62, 52 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10773-023-05303-1

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