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.

An apparatus generates a coherent illumination beam. An embedded light-scattering apparatus in a transparent substrate illuminates a reflective optical element which is also embedded inside the same substrate. The reflective optical element is designed to provide a desired beam profile.

A spatial light modulator and a liquid-crystal module are provided. The spatial light modulator includes a first liquid-crystal module and a second liquid-crystal module that are arranged opposite to each other. The first liquid-crystal module includes a first array substrate, a first color filter substrate, and a plurality of first spacers disposed therebetween. The second liquid-crystal module includes a second array substrate, a second color filter substrate, and a plurality of second spacers disposed therebetween. The first array substrate, the first color filter substrate, the second color filter substrate, and the second array substrate are stacked sequentially. At least one first spacer forms a first overlapped unit, and at least one second spacer forms a second overlapped unit. An orthographic projection of the first overlapped unit on the first array substrate fully overlaps an orthographic projection of the second overlapped unit on the first array substrate.

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.

An apparatus and method for processing a holographic image are disclosed. The apparatus calculates a first calculation result with respect to an image for the left eye and a first calculation result with respect to an image for the right eye and stores the results at different memory addresses of a storage. Thereafter, the apparatus calculates values of a waveform of light to be modulated by a spatial light modulator by performing a second calculation that uses all of the first calculation results stored in the storage. An image window of the image for the left eye and an image window of the image for the right eye are spatially separated from each other by the apparatus in a viewing window of a hologram image reproduced via the spatial light modulator.

A method and system are disclosed for using circular symmetry to eliminate the angle limitations of an optical axis in a scanned aperture holography system. A Room-sized Holography System may be a scanned aperture holographic video display and may comprise a rotating platform, a telescope comprising a first lens and a second lens, and scanners at the Fourier plane where the focal length of the first lens and the second lens meet. The platform may rotate around an axis aligned with a spatial light modulator. When the platform rotates, the scanners rotate, thereby de-rotating a SAW image. The second lens may be a spherical reflective surface for redirecting light from the spatial light modulator, having passed through the first lens and reflected off a mirror-scanner, toward a user's eyes. The user may be on a chair above the spatial light modulator, wherein the chair is configured to rotate with the spatial light modulator.

A holographic display device is provided. The holographic display device includes a spatial light modulator for representing a partial complex domain and reproducing a hologram by diffracting light, and a processor for controlling the spatial light modulator. The processor controls the spatial light modulator by employing an algorithm for calculating hologram information according to the representation of the partial complex domain of the spatial light modulator.

A method of calculating a hologram having an amplitude and a phase component. The method comprises (i) receiving an input image comprising a plurality of data values representing amplitude. The method then comprises (ii) assigning a random phase value to each data value of the plurality of data values to form a complex data set. The method then comprises (iii) performing an inverse Fourier transform of the complex data set. The method then comprises (iv) constraining each complex data value (X1, X2) of the transformed complex data set to one of a plurality of allowable complex data values (GL1-GL8), each comprising an amplitude modulation value and a phase modulation value, to form a hologram, wherein, the phase modulation values (GL1-GL7) of the plurality of allowable complex data values substantially span at least 3π/2 and at least one of the allowable complex data values has an amplitude modulation value of substantially zero (GL8) and a phase modulation value of substantially zero.

A spatial light modulating panel using a transitive liquid crystal display panel and a three-dimensional display device using the same. A a spatial light modulator including a plurality of pixels arrayed in a matrix manner; and a liquid crystal layer configured to modulate phase of an incident light passing through the each pixel, respectively. The spatial light modulator and the 3D display using the same provides a thin flat type display system having an easy and simple structure and a low manufacturing cost.

There is provided a method of projection using an optical element (502,602) having spatially variant optical power. The method comprises combining Fourier domain data representative of a 2D image with Fourier domain data having a first lensing effect (604a) to produce first holographic data. Light is spatially modulated (504,603a) with the first holographic data to form a first spatially modulated light beam. The first spatially modulated light beam is redirected using the optical element (502,602) by illuminating a first region (607) of the optical element (602) with the first spatially modulated beam. The first lensing effect (604a) compensates for the optical power of the optical element in the first region (607). Advantageous embodiments relate to a head-up display for a vehicle using the vehicle windscreen (502,602) as an optical element to redirect light to the viewer (505,609).