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.

A display system (300) comprising an optical system and a processing system. The optical system comprising a spatial light modulator (380), a light source, a Fourier transform lens, a viewing system (320, 330) and a processing system. The spatial light modulator is arranged to display holographic data in the Fourier domain, illuminated by the light source. The Fourier transform lens is arranged to produce a 2D holographic reconstruction in the spatial domain (310) corresponding to the holographic data. The viewing system is arranged to produce a virtual image (350) of the 2D holographic reconstruction. The processing system is arranged to combine the Fourier domain data representative of a 2D image with Fourier domain data representative of a phase only lens to produce first holographic data, and provide the first holographic data to the optical system to produce a virtual image.

An optical assembly is provided for use in holographic display of a replay image. The optical assembly may be of particular use is an augmented reality headset. The optical assembly includes a light-modulation element arranged to be illuminated off-axis by a light beam. The light-modulation element modulates the incident light to generate a replay image and generates a zero-order light beam. A focusing system is arranged after the light-modulation element. A light remover is positioned after the focussing system and is configured to remove the zero-order light beam from the light focussed by the focussing system. The focussing system is configured to focus zero-order light from the light-modulation element in a first plane different from a second plane which is the plane of focus of parallel light of the replay image. The light remover removes the zero-order light in the first plane.

A holographic display system including a first spatial light modulator panel and a second spatial light modulator panel is provided. The first spatial light modulator panel is configured to receive a first light with a first color, and generate a first diffracted light with the first color. The second spatial light modulator panel is configured to receive a second light with a second color and a third light with a third color, and respectively generate a second diffracted light with the second color and a third diffracted light with the third color. The first color, the second color, and the third color are different colors, and the first diffracted light, the second diffracted light and the third diffracted light form holographic images. A method for generating holographic images is also provided.

A method displays a binocular hologram image. The method includes generating a light beam of an incident wave field having coherence, expanding the generated light beam to the size of the active area of a display, converging the expanded light beam on the respective positions of the eyes of a user, generating digital hologram content, and displaying a hologram image based on the converged light beam and on the digital hologram content.

A holographic image generation system including a spatial light modulator; a light source; a temporal modulator; a light sensor and a demodulator. The spatial light modulator has pixels. The light source illuminates the spatial light modulator. The temporal light modulator modulates an output intensity of the light source over time to encode holographic data representing a hologram. The light sensor is associated with a spatial light modulator and receives light from the light source and generates a signal representative of the output intensity of the light source. The demodulator is connected to the light sensor to receive the signal. The demodulator decodes the signal to obtain the holographic data. The demodulator is connected to the spatial light modulator to set the pixels of the spatial light modulator in accordance with the holographic data to display the hologram ready for illumination by the light source to form a holographic reconstruction.

Various embodiments set forth optical patterning systems. Each pixel of the optical patterning systems includes an amplitude-modulating cell that is in line with a phase-modulating cell. The amplitude-modulating cell includes a liquid crystal and a drive method for modulating at least the amplitude of a wavefront of light that passes through the amplitude-modulating cell. The phase-modulating cell includes a liquid crystal and a drive method for modulating at least the phase of a wavefront of light that passes through the phase-modulating cell. In some embodiments, the amplitude-modulating cell shares a common ground with the phase-modulating cell. The amplitude-modulating cell and the phase-modulating cell can be used to independently control the amplitude change and phase delay imparted by the pixel, enabling complex wavefront modulation.

A display system and a method of adjusting a display system are disclosed. A first plurality of pixels is arranged to display a first hologram, receive light of a first wavelength, and output spatially-modulated light according to the first hologram, along a first optical path. A first Fourier transform lens on the first optical path forms a first holographic reconstruction at a replay plane. A second plurality of pixels is arranged to display a second hologram, receive light of a second wavelength, and output spatially modulated light according to the second hologram, along a second optical path. A second Fourier transform lens on the second optical path forms a second holographic reconstruction at the replay plane. A first optical element on the first optical path is arranged to receive the output light from a first part of the first optical path and direct it along a second part of the first optical path to the replay plane. A second optical element on the second optical path is arranged to receive the output light of the second wavelength from a first part of the second optical path and direct it along a second part of the second optical path to the replay plane. The length of the first part of the first optical path is not equal to the length of the first part of the second optical path. The first part of the first optical path may he substantially collinear with the first part of the second optical path.

Examples are disclosed relating to reducing orders of diffraction patterns in phase modulating devices. An example phase modulating device includes a phase modulating layer having first and second opposing sides, a common electrode adjacent the first side of the phase modulating layer, a plurality of pixel electrodes adjacent the second side of the phase modulating layer, and blurring material disposed between the phase modulating layer and the pixel electrodes. In the example phase modulating device, the blurring material is configured to smooth phase transitions in the phase modulating layer between localized areas associated with the pixel electrodes, the pixel electrodes have a pixel pitch by which the pixel electrodes are distributed along the phase modulating layer, and the pixel electrodes are separated from one another by an inter-pixel gap, where the ratio of the inter-pixel gap to the pixel pitch is between 0.50 and 1.0.

An illumination distribution system for distributing high power illumination to a set of projectors. The system includes a display element, such as a spatial light modulator (SLM), receiving light from a laser. The system includes a fiber optic array with connection locations for optical fibers. The system includes projectors that are each coupled to the fiber optic array at one or more of the connection locations with at least one optical fiber. The system includes a controller operating the display element at a first time to display a first hologram and at a second time to display a second hologram differing from the first hologram such that the laser light is split, with equal or unequal splitting ratios, into beams that are selectively directed to the connection locations of the fiber optic array (e.g., based on a 2D routing pattern used to generate the holograms).