Color holography using the angular selectivity of volume recording media

A display hologram of an object can be recorded and reconstructed in three primary colors if the angular selectivity of volume recording media is exploited. Three holograms are recorded in the same medium, each at a different primary color. These three holograms are reconstructed by simultaneous illumination of the hologram with the original reference beams. By proper choice of the angles that the reference beams make to the hologram, it is possible to suppress strongly cross talk between the different reconstructions (e.g., the red object reconstruction in green light). The technique exhibits high resolution, high diffraction efficiency, and vivid colors. Through the addition of three holographically recorded volume gratings it is possible to reconstruct the hologram with a beam of white light. The saturation and brightness of each primary color in the reconstruction can be adjusted by selection of an appropriate thickness for the corresponding grating.     

Coaxial holographic encoding based on pure phase modulation

We describe a simple technique for coaxial holographic image recording and reconstruction, employing a spatial light modulator (SLM) modified in pure phase mode. In the image encoding system, both the reference beam in the outside part and the signal beam in the inside part are displayed by an SLM based on the twisted nematic LCD. For a binary image, the part with amplitude of "1" is modulated with random phase, while the part with amplitude of "0" is modulated with constant phase. After blocking the dc component of the spatial frequencies, a Fourier transform (FT) hologram is recorded with a uniform intensity distribution. The amplitude image is reconstructed by illuminating the reference beam onto the hologram, which is much simpler than existing phase modulated FT holography techniques. The technique of coaxial holographic image encoding and recovering with pure phase modulation is demonstrated theoretically and experimentally in this paper. As the holograms are recorded without the high-intensity dc component, the storage density with volume medium may be increased with the increase of dynamic range. Such a simple modulation method will have potential applications in areas such as holographic encryption and high-density disk storage systems.     

真彩色动感全息图

提出了用单色激光器制作真彩色动感全息图的方法。该方法用三色光栅相机将景物的彩色信息记录在一张透明片上,并使用散射参光法一次曝光合成一幅真彩色全息图。对从不同观察角度所拍摄的透明片进行多次全息曝光并记录在同一张全息片上,可在普通白炽灯下看到景物的真彩色动感全息像。采用散射光作为参考光记录全息片,大大降低了相干噪声。一次曝光记录一幅真彩色全息图,不仅使透明片数量和曝光次数减少为分色记录的1／3,而且消除了由分色记录三次曝光所带来的颜色分离,增加了彩色像的真实感和清晰度。     

Suppression of undesired diffraction orders of binary phase holograms

A method to remove undesired diffraction orders of computer-generated binary phase holograms is demonstrated. Normally, the reconstruction of binary Fourier holograms, made from just two phase levels, results in an undesired inverted image from the minus first diffraction order, which is superposed with the desired one. This can be avoided by reconstructing the hologram with a diffuse light field with a pseudorandom, but known, phase distribution, which is taken into account for the hologram computation. As a consequence, only the desired image is reconstructed, whereas all residual light is dispersed, propagating as a diffuse background wave. The method may be advantageous to employ ferroelectric spatial light modulators as holographic display devices, which can display only binary phase holograms, but which have the advantage of fast switching rates.     

Fast digital hologram generation and adaptive force measurement in liquid-crystal-display-based holographic tweezers

Computer-generated holograms in conjunction with spatial light modulators (SLMs) offer a way to dynamically generate holograms that are adapted to specific tasks. To use the full dynamic capability of the SLM, the hologram computation should be very fast. We present a method that uses the highly parallel architecture of a consumer graphics board to compute analytical holograms in video real time. A precice characterization of the SLM (Holoeye LC-R-2500) and the adaption of its settings to our near-infrared application is necessary to guarantee an efficient hologram reconstruction. The benefits of a fast computation of adapted holograms and the application of an efficient SLM are demonstrated by measuring the trapping forces of holographic tweezers.     

Optical encryption system with a binary key code

A double-random-phase optical encryption system that uses a binary key code is proposed. The key code is generated as a binary computer-generated hologram. The binary key code can be displayed on a binary spatial light modulator (SLM) such as a ferroelectric liquid-crystal display. The use of a binary SLM enables us to renew the key at high speed. A joint transform correlator based on a photorefractive crystal in the Fourier domain is used to perform shift-invariant encryption and decryption. Computer simulations of the effects of using a binary encoded key code instead of a complex amplitude key code are shown. Preliminary optical experimental results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed system.     

Probing the wave fronts based on autocorrelation

We proposed an easy method for probing the wave fronts via a typical Fourier transform system. An amplitude only spatial light modulator (SLM) was set on the front focal plane of a Fourier lens to control the wave front transmittance. A CCD was set on the back focal plane of the Fourier lens to record the intensity patterns. The Fourier transform of the intensity pattern is the autocorrelation of the wave front passing through the SLM. When we choose suitable pixels of the SLM to permit the wave front passing through, the information from the wave front illuminating the pixels can be directly extracted from the Fourier transform of the diffraction intensity pattern without complicated calculations. The complex amplitude of the wave front illuminated on the SLM can be probed using the above-mentioned method. The simulation results certifying our theory were also given.     

Holographic display with tilted spatial light modulator

In this paper, we analyze a holographic display system utilizing a phase-only spatial light modulator (SLM) based on liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS). An LCoS SLM works in reflection, and, in some applications, it is convenient to use with an inclined illumination. Even with a highly inclined illumination, the holographic display is capable of good-quality image generation. We show that the key to obtain high-quality reconstructions is the tilt-dependent calibration and algorithms. Typically, an LCoS SLM is illuminated with a plane wave with normal wave vector. We use inclined illumination, which requires development of new algorithms and display characterization. In this paper we introduce two algorithms. The first one is designed to process a digital hologram captured in CCD normal configuration, so it can be displayed in SLM tilted geometry, while the second one is capable of synthetic hologram generation for tilted SLM configuration. The inclined geometry asymmetrically changes the field of view of a holographic display. The presented theoretical analysis of the aliasing effect provides a formula for the field of view as a function of SLM tilt. The incidence angle affects SLM performance. Both elements of SLM calibration, i.e., pixel phase response and wavefront aberrations, strongly depend on SLM tilt angle. The effect is discussed in this paper. All of the discussions are accompanied with experimental results.     

Computer-generated holograms of three-dimensional realistic objects recorded without wave interference

We propose a method of synthesizing computer-generated holograms of real-life three-dimensional (3-D) objects. An ordinary digital camera illuminated by incoherent white light records several projections of the 3-D object from different points of view. The recorded data are numerically processed to yield a two-dimensional complex function, which is then encoded as a computer-generated hologram. When this hologram is illuminated by a plane wave, a 3-D real image of the object is reconstructed.     

Holographic projection of arbitrary light patterns with a suppressed zero-order beam

We present what is to our knowledge a novel technique for efficient suppression of the zero-order beam inherent in light patterns projected via phase-only computer-generated holograms (CGHs). Encoding a CGH on a spatial light modulator (SLM) with a limited fill factor produces a disturbing zero-order beam at the optical axis. Here, we propose to derive a CGH, which includes holographic information to project a corrective beam that destructively interferes with the zero-order beam. The CGH for projecting arbitrary light patterns plus a corrective beam are derived using the Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm where the iterations impose both amplitude and phase constraints for the target field pattern at the Fourier plane. As proof of principle, we analyze the viability of the technique by simulating the performance when applied on a practical SLM with a limited fill factor, fixed number of phase-shifting pixels, and wavefront distortion associated with the surface roughness of the SLM.     

Spatial filtering for zero-order and twin-image elimination in digital off-axis holography

Off-axis holograms recorded with a CCD camera are numerically reconstructed with a calculation of scalar diffraction in the Fresnel approximation. We show that the zero order of diffraction and the twin image can be digitally eliminated by means of filtering their associated spatial frequencies in the computed Fourier transform of the hologram. We show that this operation enhances the contrast of the reconstructed images and reduces the noise produced by parasitic reflections reaching the hologram plane with an incidence angle other than that of the object wave.     

Three-dimensional display of a horizontal-parallax-only hologram

We propose a three-dimensional (3D) holographic display by converting an optically recorded complex full-parallax (FP) hologram to an off-axis horizontal-parallax-only (HPO) hologram. First, we record the complex FP hologram of an object using optical scanning holography. We then convert the complex FP hologram to an off-axis HPO hologram through fringe-matched Gaussian low-pass filtering and with the introduction of an off-axis reference. Finally, we reconstruct the off-axis HPO hologram optically using an amplitude-only spatial light modulator. Until now, only computer-generated HPO holograms have been displayed optically. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of a 3D display of an optically recorded HPO hologram.     

Two methods of reducing the dynamic range of a holographic filter

Two methods of reducing the dynamic range of the transmittance of computer-generated interconnection holograms are presented and compared. The holograms are used in an optical implementation of an associative memory to connect the input and the output planes but are representative of more generalN(4) interconnection holograms. Because the holograms play a double correlation-reconstruction role, the standard spectrum-smoothing techniques (e.g., random phase) cannot be applied. We show, in computer simulations and optical experiments, that by using deterministic phase functions that can be realized in the optical system (defocusing the hologram or controlling the phases of the diffraction spots of a Dammann grating used in the system input) the hologram dynamic range can be lowered, reducing the errors during the hologram binarization and increasing the hologram's diffraction efficiency.     

Modulation transfer function measurement method for electrically addressed spatial light modulators

The modulation transfer function (MTF), when used with amplitude modulation (m(A)) data, is a vital coherent optical performance measure for a spatial light modulator (SLM). A new image plane amplitude MTF (MTF(A)) measurement method is presented for electrically addressed SLMs. It involves digital analysis of the output image of a square-wave pattern written onto the SLM. Modulation-level effects are also addressed. Optical laboratory results are presented for two liquid-crystal SLMs. The need to consider amplitude rather than intensity modulation (when coherent optical processing applications are considered) is noted in terms of SLM biasing.     

Fast computation for generating CGH of a 3D object by employing connections between layers

An approximate method for generating computer-generated holograms (CGH) of a 3D object with six times faster speed than the conventional algorithm is presented. In the conventional algorithm, a 3D object is sliced into many layers and treated as a collection of self-illuminated point light source. The propagation process of a light ray from every point of an object to all the points on the hologram plane is simulated and interfered with by the reference beam to form a CGH. In our proposed method, under the assumption that the depth of a 3D object is much smaller than the recording distance, we just need to calculate the oblique distance between the first layer and the hologram plane, and then the oblique distances from the other layers to the hologram plane can be obtained from a simple relation, thus the computational time is much reduced. The CGH is optically reconstructed and the quality of the reconstructed image agrees well with that from the conventional algorithm.     

Method for the characterization of hologram processing

Abstract

A novel method for the characterization of the processing of both absorption and phase holograms is proposed. Differently from the previous models, the square root of the diffraction efficiency of the processed hologram was directly related to the amplitude of the optical density modulation obtained at the developed step. This characteristic is a good indicator of the degree of nonlinearity of the hologram processing. While the Lin functions of phase holograms are similar to those of absorption holograms, the shape of the proposed function is completely different. The optical density and diffraction efficiency of holograms recorded using Agfa–Geveart 8E75HD plates and processed with AAC developer and a solvent bleach without a fixation step were measured and used to demonstrate the method.     

Three-dimensional Displacement Analysis by Windowed Phase-shifting Digital Holographic Interferometry

Abstract:  Phase-shifting digital holography is a new method for measuring the displacement distribution on the surface of an object. The authors previously proposed a windowed phase-shifting digital holographic interferometry (windowed PSDHI). This method provides accurate displacement distributions by decreasing the effect of speckle patterns. In this study, the method is extended to analyse three-dimensional displacement components in a microscope. Three object laser beams in the optical system are used. Four phase-shifted holograms are recorded for each object laser beam. The complex amplitude of each reconstructed light at the object is calculated by the Fresnel diffraction integral of the complex amplitude of the hologram. The reconstructed distance is obtained at the point with the maximum of the standard deviation of the intensities of the object reconstructed with changing the reconstruction distance. The three phase-difference values between before and after deformation provide the three-dimensional displacement components. Theoretical treatment and experimental results of three-dimensional displacement measurement using this method are shown.     

Reflection volume holographic scanners with field-curvature corrections

A new type of polygonal holographic scanner that combines a reflection volume hologram with a computer-generated hologram (CGH) is described. The scanner is free from the aberration of field curvature. Such a scanning system can allow for a compact folded version of the scanner and Bragg diffraction into only a single order. The equations expressing the spatial-variable image distance are derived and are fit to the phase function designated by polynomials incorporated into a CGH in terms of the least-squares method. A reflection scanner with field-curvature correction is made by interfering a diffracted wave front from this CGH with a spherical wave front having scanning focal power through a second plane hologram. Experiments demonstrating the feasibility of this scanner are presented. Raster-scan patterns using a multifaceted scanner are shown. Helpful data on the diffraction efficiency and the spectrally diffracted intensity of reflection holograms are also presented.     

Application of the fractional Fourier transform to the design of LCOS based optical interconnects and fiber switches

It is shown that reflective liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) spatial light modulator (SLM) based interconnects or fiber switches that use defocus to reduce crosstalk can be evaluated and optimized using a fractional Fourier transform if certain optical symmetry conditions are met. Theoretically the maximum allowable linear hologram phase error compared to a Fourier switch is increased by a factor of six before the target crosstalk for telecom applications of -40 dB is exceeded. A Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm incorporating a fractional Fourier transform modified for use with a reflective LCOS SLM is used to optimize multi-casting holograms in a prototype telecom switch. Experiments are in close agreement to predicted performance.     

Three-dimensional complex image coding using a circular Dammann grating

Recently, optical image coding using a circular Dammann grating (CDG) has been proposed and investigated. However, the proposed technique is intensity based and could not be used for three-dimensional (3D) image coding. In this paper, we investigate an optical image coding technique that is complex-amplitude based. The system can be used for 3D image coding. The complex-amplitude coding is provided by a circular Dammann grating through the use of a digital holographic recording technique called optical scanning holography. To decode the image, along the depth we record a series of pinhole holograms coded by the CDG. The decoded reconstruction of each depth location is extracted by the measured pinhole hologram matched to the desired depth. Computer simulations as well as experimental results are provided.