A method of manufacturing a thin film optical apparatus includes providing a substrate and applying an alignment layer over the substrate. The alignment layer ranges from about 50 to 100 nm in thickness. The method includes imprinting a hologram with a desired optic pattern onto the alignment layer and applying at least one layer of mesogen material over the alignment layer.

Methods, apparatus, devices, and systems for reconstructing three-dimensional objects with display zero order light suppression are provided. In one aspect, a method includes illuminating a display with light, a portion of the light illuminating display elements of the display, and modulating the display elements of the display with a hologram corresponding to holographic data to diffract the portion of the light to form a holographic scene corresponding to the holographic data, and to suppress display zero order light in the holographic scene. The display zero order light can include reflected light from the display.

A holographic recording system includes a linear translation stage configured to position a holographic material layer, a light source configured to emit a laser beam, a beam splitting subsystem configured to split the laser beam into a first light beam and a second light beam and direct the second light beam towards the holographic material layer, a spatial-light modulator configured to implement a fringe pattern that modulates the first light beam to generate an object beam, a filter configured to filter the object beam, a demagnification optical subsystem configured to demagnify the object beam, and a switchable grating stack configurable to direct the object beam to a set of directions towards the holographic material layer to interfere with the second light beam. In some embodiments, the switchable grating stack includes a plurality of polarization gratings and/or a plurality of switchable waveplates arranged in a stack.

An optical scanning holography system includes a polarization-sensitive lens configured to receive a linearly polarized beam and generate a first spherical wave of right-handed circular polarized light having a negative focal length and a second spherical wave of left-handed circular polarized light having a positive focal length, a first polarizer configured to pass only a beam component therethrough in a predetermined polarization direction among components of the generated first and second spherical waves, a scanning unit configured to scan an object by using an interference beam generated between the first and second spherical waves passing through the first polarizer, and a first photodetector configured to detect a beam reflected from the object.

An optical component comprises a metasurface comprising nanoscale elements. The metasurface is configured to receive incident light and to generate optical outputs. The geometries and/or orientations of the nanoscale elements provide a first optical output upon receiving a polarized incident light with a first polarization, and provide a second optical output upon receiving a polarized incident light with a second polarization that is different from the first polarization.

A holographic display device includes a light source configured to emit light, the light including first light of a first wavelength, second light of a second wavelength, and third light of a third wavelength; a spatial light modulator configured to form a holographic pattern to modulate the light emitted from the light source and to produce a holographic image; and a focusing optical system configured to focus the holographic image. The focusing optical system includes a fixed-focus optical system having a fixed focal length, and a variable focus optical system having a focal length that is changed by electrical control. The fixed-focus optical system is configured to focus the first light of the first wavelength, the second light of the second wavelength, and the third light of the third wavelength on different positions, respectively, on an optical axis to cancel a chromatic aberration by the variable focus optical system.

An optical assembly includes a first flexible membrane and a first optical element coupled with at least a first portion of the first flexible membrane. The optical assembly also includes a substrate having a curved surface. The first optical element is coupled to the curved surface of the substrate with the first flexible membrane. A method for making an optical assembly includes obtaining a first flexible membrane and a first optical element. The method includes coupling the first optical element with at least a first portion of the first flexible membrane and coupling, with the first flexible membrane, the first optical element to a curved surface of a substrate.

An optical scanning holography system includes a polarization-sensitive lens configured to receive a linearly polarized beam and generate a first spherical wave of right-handed circular polarized light having a negative focal length and a second spherical wave of left-handed circular polarized light having a positive focal length, a first polarizer configured to pass only a beam component therethrough in a predetermined polarization direction among components of the generated first and second spherical waves, a scanning unit configured to scan an object by using an interference beam generated between the first and second spherical waves passing through the first polarizer, and a first photodetector configured to detect a beam reflected from the object.

An optical master is created by using a nanoimprint alignment layer to pattern a liquid crystal layer. The nanoimprint alignment layer and the liquid crystal layer constitute the optical master. The optical master is positioned above a photo-alignment layer. The optical master is illuminated and light propagating through the nanoimprinted alignment layer and the liquid crystal layer is diffracted and subsequently strikes the photo-alignment layer. The incident diffracted light causes the pattern in the liquid crystal layer to be transferred to the photo-alignment layer. A second liquid crystal layer is deposited onto the patterned photo-alignment layer, which subsequently is used to align the molecules of the second liquid crystal layer. The second liquid crystal layer in the patterned photo-alignment layer may be utilized as a replica optical master, or as a diffractive optical element for directing light in optical devices such as augmented reality display devices.

An image reproduction device reproduces an image including N different parameters of a wavelength range or the like, and includes: a multiple hologram acquisition part that acquires N to 2N multiple holograms obtained by multiplex-recording interference patterns for each parameter; a parameter selection part that selects the parameters one by one; a hologram generation part that generates a computer generated hologram containing two lightwaves having the selected parameter, from the multiple hologram; and a lightwave restoration part that restores one of the two lightwaves from the computer generated hologram.