Disclosed is a holographic display including a spatial light modulator (SLM) with pixels, the SLM pixels being on a substrate, the SLM including circuitry which is on the same substrate as the SLM pixels, the circuitry operable to perform calculations which provide an encoding of the SLM.

Provided is an augmented reality (AR) device based on a waveguide with a holographic diffractive grating structure and an apparatus for recording the holographic diffractive grating structure. The apparatus includes a light source, a beam splitter, a first amplitude filter and a first triangular prism that are arranged on a path of a first light beam, and a second amplitude filter and a second triangular prism that are arranged on a path of a second light beam, in which a first part of the first light beam passes through the first triangular prism without attenuation, a second part of the first light beam passes through the first triangular prism after being attenuated, and the second light beam passes through the second triangular prism after being attenuated, and the holographic diffractive grating structure is recorded between the first triangular prism and the second triangular prism.

A light projection apparatus is provided comprising: a source of light; a switchable grating on a first substrate; and a diffractive optical element. Light is diffracted at least once by the switchable grating and is diffracted at least once by the DOE.

Provided are methods for replication (copying) of volume Holographic Optical Elements (HOE) using a master hologram in optical contact with a prism, wherein the master hologram comprises distinct object and reference beam coupling elements, and wherein in the replication process light is coupled from one face of the prism and transmitted through another face of the prism using the distinct object and reference beam coupling elements. Methods for making the master hologram by sequentially forming the distinct object and reference beam coupling elements therein are provided. Further methods for encoding aperture functions directly to the master hologram are provided. Yet further methods provide for forming a copy HOE in an array configuration using a step-and-repeat method wherein the copy HOE is translated laterally by a specified distance before the next exposure is made.

There is disclosed herein a waveguide comprising an optical slab and an optical wedge. The optical slab has a first refractive index, n.sub.1>1. The optical slab comprises: a pair of opposing surfaces and an input port. The pair of opposing surfaces are arranged in a parallel configuration. The input port is arranged to receive light into the optical slab at an angle such that the light is guided between the first and second opposing surfaces by a series of internal reflections. The optical wedge has a second refractive index, n.sub.2, wherein 1<n.sub.2<n.sub.1. The optical wedge comprises a pair of opposing surfaces arranged in a wedge configuration. A first surface of the optical wedge abuts the second surface of the optical slab to form an interface that allows partial transmission of light guided by the optical slab into the optical wedge at a plurality of points along the interface such that the light is divided a plurality of times. The angle of the wedge allows light received at the interface to escape through the second surface of the optical wedge such that the exit pupil of the waveguide is expanded by the plurality of divisions of the light.

Provided is a holographic display apparatus capable of providing an expanded viewing window when reproducing a holographic image via an off-axis technique. The holographic display apparatus includes a spatial light modulator comprising a plurality of pixels arranged two-dimensionally; and an aperture enlargement film configured to enlarge a beam diameter of a light beam coming from each of the plurality of pixels of the spatial light modulator. The beam diameter of each light beam enlarged by the aperture enlargement film may be greater than the width of an aperture of each pixel of the spatial light modulator.

This application relates to a see-through head-mounted display using recorded substrate-guided holographic continuous lens (SGHCL) and a scanning laser beam that creates an image on a diffuser or a microdisplay with laser illumination. The high diffraction efficiency of the volume SGHCL creates very high luminance of the virtual image.

This application relates to a see-through head-mounted display using recorded substrate-guided holographic continuous lens (SGHCL) and a microdisplay with narrow spectral band source or laser illumination. The high diffraction efficiency of the volume SGHCL creates very high luminance of the virtual image.

The invention relates to an apparatus (200, 300, 400, 600) for producing volume reflection holograms with substrate-guided reconstruction beams, comprising: at least one transparent, planar carrier element (210, 310, 410, 610) comprising a first flat side (210.1) and a further flat side (210.2), at least one master element (206, 306, 406, 606) arrangeable at the first flat side (210.1) of the carrier element (210, 310, 410, 610) and at least one optical input coupling element (102, 202, 302, 402, 602) configured to optically couple a light beam (214, 216), wherein provision is made of at least one coupling portion (104, 204, 304, 404, 604) configured to mechanically establish an optical contact between the input coupling element (102, 202, 302, 402) and at least one holographic recording medium (208, 308, 408) providable on the further flat side (210.2) of the carrier element (210, 310, 410) or configured to mechanically establish an optical contact between the further flat side of the carrier element (610) and at least one holographic recording medium (608) providable on a flat side (605) of the optical input coupling element (602), wherein at least the coupling portion (104, 204, 304, 404, 604) is formed from a material with a shear modulus of between 1000 Pa and 50 MPa, preferably of between 30,000 Pa and 30 MPa.

A holographic projector having an optical path is described. The holographic projector comprises a first spatial light modulator arranged to display a first hologram, and a first light source. The first light source is arranged to illuminate the first spatial light modulator with light of a first wavelength such that a first holographic reconstruction corresponding to the first hologram is formed on a replay plane. The holographic projector further comprises a continuous block of transparent material. At least part of the optical path is formed through the continuous block of transparent material. The transparent material has a refractive index greater than air.