Paper 2025/634 Original: eprint.iacr.org/2025/634 ↗

Cryptography based on 2D Ray Tracing

Abstract

We introduce a novel symmetric key cryptographic scheme involving a light ray's interaction with a 2D cartesian coordinate setup, several smaller boxes within this setup, of either reflection or refraction type and $1^{st}$, $2^{nd}$ or $3^{rd}$ degree polynomial curves inside each of these smaller boxes. We also incorporate boolean logic gates of types XOR, NOT-Shift and Permutation which get applied to the light ray after each interaction with a reflecting or refracting polynomial curve. This alternating interaction between Optical gates (polynomial curves) and Non-optical gates creates a complex and secure cryptographic system. Furthermore, we design and launch customized attacks on our cryptographic system and discuss the robustness of it against these.