Metasurface-enabled optical encryption and steganography with enhanced information security
Metasurfaces have attracted considerable interest in optical encryption due to their remarkable ability to manipulate light at subwavelength scales, however the aspect of encryption security remains an area requiring deeper exploration. Here, we propose and demonstrate metasurface-enabled optical en...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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De Gruyter
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Nanophotonics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1515/nanoph-2025-0015 |
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| _version_ | 1849314949206114304 |
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| author | Xing Wen Bu Changke Zhang Xiaoyi Choi Duk-Yong Li Yang Yue Wenjing Cheng Jiaqi Li Zhancheng Chen Shuqi Gao Song |
| author_facet | Xing Wen Bu Changke Zhang Xiaoyi Choi Duk-Yong Li Yang Yue Wenjing Cheng Jiaqi Li Zhancheng Chen Shuqi Gao Song |
| author_sort | Xing Wen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Metasurfaces have attracted considerable interest in optical encryption due to their remarkable ability to manipulate light at subwavelength scales, however the aspect of encryption security remains an area requiring deeper exploration. Here, we propose and demonstrate metasurface-enabled optical encryption and steganography that provides dual-layer information protection. A secret information is embedded within multiple carrier images using a run-length encoding algorithm, dispersing the data to safeguard it against direct observation and brute-force attacks, thereby establishing the first layer of security. The second layer is achieved by encoding the multiple carrier images onto a silicon metasurface, leveraging light wavelength and polarization to generate diverse optical keys post-steganography. To validate the proposed scheme, several silicon metasurface samples are fabricated and characterized in the visible spectrum. By adjusting various combinations of optical keys, three encrypted carrier images are retrieved with high fidelity and negligible crosstalk, and the concealed secret information is successfully extracted through a corresponding decryption algorithm. The proposed approach enhances optical information security at the hardware level, making it less susceptible to leakage. It is anticipated that the demonstrated advancement will hold significant potential for applications in information security and optical anti-counterfeiting. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ebb2d17b262a43ebb2fed36fea382e17 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2192-8614 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | De Gruyter |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nanophotonics |
| spelling | doaj-art-ebb2d17b262a43ebb2fed36fea382e172025-08-20T03:52:16ZengDe GruyterNanophotonics2192-86142025-03-011491391140310.1515/nanoph-2025-0015Metasurface-enabled optical encryption and steganography with enhanced information securityXing Wen0Bu Changke1Zhang Xiaoyi2Choi Duk-Yong3Li Yang4Yue Wenjing5Cheng Jiaqi6Li Zhancheng7Chen Shuqi8Gao Song9School of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Key Laboratory of Ubiquitous Intelligent Computing, 12413University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, ChinaSchool of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Key Laboratory of Ubiquitous Intelligent Computing, 12413University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, ChinaSchool of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Key Laboratory of Ubiquitous Intelligent Computing, 12413University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, ChinaLaser Physics Centre, Research School of Physics, Australian National University, Canberra ACT, 2601, AustraliaSchool of Integrated Circuits, Shandong University, Jinan, 250101, ChinaSchool of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Key Laboratory of Ubiquitous Intelligent Computing, 12413University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, ChinaSchool of Physics and TEDA Institute of Applied Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, ChinaSchool of Physics and TEDA Institute of Applied Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, ChinaSchool of Physics and TEDA Institute of Applied Physics, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, ChinaSchool of Information Science and Engineering, Shandong Key Laboratory of Ubiquitous Intelligent Computing, 12413University of Jinan, Jinan, 250022, ChinaMetasurfaces have attracted considerable interest in optical encryption due to their remarkable ability to manipulate light at subwavelength scales, however the aspect of encryption security remains an area requiring deeper exploration. Here, we propose and demonstrate metasurface-enabled optical encryption and steganography that provides dual-layer information protection. A secret information is embedded within multiple carrier images using a run-length encoding algorithm, dispersing the data to safeguard it against direct observation and brute-force attacks, thereby establishing the first layer of security. The second layer is achieved by encoding the multiple carrier images onto a silicon metasurface, leveraging light wavelength and polarization to generate diverse optical keys post-steganography. To validate the proposed scheme, several silicon metasurface samples are fabricated and characterized in the visible spectrum. By adjusting various combinations of optical keys, three encrypted carrier images are retrieved with high fidelity and negligible crosstalk, and the concealed secret information is successfully extracted through a corresponding decryption algorithm. The proposed approach enhances optical information security at the hardware level, making it less susceptible to leakage. It is anticipated that the demonstrated advancement will hold significant potential for applications in information security and optical anti-counterfeiting.https://doi.org/10.1515/nanoph-2025-0015metasurfaceoptical encryptionsteganographywavelength multiplexingpolarization multiplexing |
| spellingShingle | Xing Wen Bu Changke Zhang Xiaoyi Choi Duk-Yong Li Yang Yue Wenjing Cheng Jiaqi Li Zhancheng Chen Shuqi Gao Song Metasurface-enabled optical encryption and steganography with enhanced information security Nanophotonics metasurface optical encryption steganography wavelength multiplexing polarization multiplexing |
| title | Metasurface-enabled optical encryption and steganography with enhanced information security |
| title_full | Metasurface-enabled optical encryption and steganography with enhanced information security |
| title_fullStr | Metasurface-enabled optical encryption and steganography with enhanced information security |
| title_full_unstemmed | Metasurface-enabled optical encryption and steganography with enhanced information security |
| title_short | Metasurface-enabled optical encryption and steganography with enhanced information security |
| title_sort | metasurface enabled optical encryption and steganography with enhanced information security |
| topic | metasurface optical encryption steganography wavelength multiplexing polarization multiplexing |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1515/nanoph-2025-0015 |
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