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

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]