A holographic microscope configured to observe a sample is provided. The holographic microscope includes a light source, a light splitting element, a polarizing element, a phase modulation element, a light combining element, and a photosensitive element. The light source is configured to provide an illumination beam. The illuminating beam is transmitted through the light splitting element to form a first light beam and a second light beam, and the sample is disposed on a transmission path of the first light beam. The polarizing element and the phase modulation element are disposed on the transmission path of the first light beam or the second light beam. The first light beam and the second light beam are transmitted to the light combining element to form an interference beam. The photosensitive element is disposed on a transmission path of the interference beam to receive the interference beam to generate an optical signal.

In described examples, a system (e.g., a projection system) can include a diffractive optical element adapted to be illuminated by at least one coherent light beam. A lens array is coupled to receive a diffracted beam of light from the diffractive optical element. The lens array includes a first and a second array lens. The first array lens is coupled to receive a first sector of a pattern of illumination of the diffracted beam of light, and the second array lens is coupled to receive a second sector of the pattern of illumination of the diffracted beam of light. A spatial light modulator is coupled to receive overlapping diffracted beams of light from the first and second array lenses to form an image beam.

Virtual reality (VR) displays are computer displays that present images or video in a manner that simulates a real experience for the viewer. In many cases, VR displays are implemented as head-mounted displays (HMDs) which provide a display in the line of sight of the user. Because current HMDs are composed of a display panel and magnifying lens with a gap therebetween, proper functioning of the HMDs limits their design to a box-like form factor, thereby negatively impacting both comfort and aesthetics. The present disclosure provides a different configuration for a VR display which allows for improved comfort and aesthetics, including specifically at least one coherent light source, at least one pupil replicating waveguide coupled to the at least one coherent light source to receive light therefrom, and at least one spatial light modulator coupled to the at least one pupil replicating waveguide to modulate the light.

A holographic display comprises: an illumination source which is at least partially coherent; a plurality of display elements positioned to receive light from the illumination source and spaced apart from each other, each display element comprising a group of at least two sub-elements; and a modulation system associated with each display element and configured to modulate at least a phase of each of the plurality of sub-elements.

A method and apparatus for generating coherent light, and a display apparatus using coherent light are provided. A wide-angle coherent light generation apparatus may focus parallel light onto a focal point, and may generate coherent light at a wide angle, using an optical device.

A video communication system uses a light field display to present a holographic image of a remote scene (e.g., a hologram of a remote participant). The system may include a local light field display assembly and a controller. The controller generates display instructions based on visual data corresponding to a remote scene received from a remote image capture system (e.g., a remote light field display system). The display instructions cause the local light field display assembly to generate a holographic image of the remote scene.

Disclosed are transparent energy relay waveguide systems for the superimposition of holographic opacity modulation states for holographic, light field, virtual, augmented and mixed reality applications. The light field system may comprise one or more energy waveguide relay systems with one or more energy modulation elements, each energy modulation element configured to modulate energy passing therethrough, whereby the energy passing therethrough may be directed according to 4D plenoptic functions or inverses thereof.

A system for making a holographic medium for use in generating light patterns for eye tracking includes a light source configured to provide light and a beam splitter configured to separate the light into a first portion of the light and a second portion of the light that is spatially separated from the first portion of the light. The system also includes a first set of optical elements configured to transmit the first portion of the light for providing a first wide-field beam onto an optically recordable medium, a second set of optical elements configured to transmit the second portion of the light for providing a second wide-field beam, and a plurality of parabolic reflectors optically coupled with the second set of optical elements and configured to receive the second wide-field beam and project a plurality of separate light patterns onto the optically recordable medium for forming the holographic medium.

A complex spatial light modulator and a three-dimensional (3D) image display apparatus including the complex spatial light modulator are provided. The complex spatial light modulator includes: a spatial light modulator that modulates a phase of light; a prism array including a plurality of prism units, each of the plurality of prism units including a first prism surface and second prism surface, where light from the spatial light modulator is incident on the prism array; and a polarization-independent diffracting element that diffracts light that has passed through the prism array.

A three-dimensional imaging system based on a stereo hologram is disclosed. Images composed of sub-images having the same vertical-horizontal resolutions which are generated at plural image projection modules having a two-dimensional arrangement structure are projected to a prism array plate or a transmission-type diffusion plate, and are converted into light points, i.e., image points through a microlens array unit. A diffusion plate used as an image display screen is mounted to a position at which images diffused from the light points intersect with images diffused from the adjacent light points.