A holographic optical element and a manufacturing method thereof, an image reconstruction method, and augmented reality glasses are disclosed. The holographic optical element includes a substrate, and a recording material layer in which at least two groups of interference fringes are recorded; each group includes a first interference fringe formed by a first signal light and a first reference light respectively incident from opposite sides of the recording material layer, and a second interference fringe formed by a second signal light and a second reference light respectively incident from opposite sides of the recording material layer; the second signal light passes through a lens before incidence; incident angles of the first signal light and the second reference light are equal; incident directions of the first signal light corresponding to respective groups are different, and focal lengths of the lenses are not equal.

A complex light modulator including a first polarization plate, a second polarization plate provided, an amplitude modulator provided between the first polarization plate and the second polarization plate, a phase modulator provided between the amplitude modulator and the second polarization plate, and color filters provided between the amplitude modulator and the phase modulator.

Provided are holographic displays and operating methods of the holographic display. The holographic display includes a backlight portion configured to emit light for displaying an image; a deflector configured to control a direction at which the image is displayed; a lens portion configured to control a location where the image to be displayed is formed to match a location that satisfies a diffraction condition; and a panel portion configured to display a 3D image by combining the image to be displayed with an interference pattern generated with respect to an overlapped hologram.

Augmented reality glasses include near eye displays the include sources of imagewise amplitude modulated light optical coupled to spatial phase modulators or active zone plate modulators and optically coupled to eye coupling optics. The sources of imagewise amplitude modulated light can include emissive 2D display panels or light sources coupled to imagewise amplitude modulators. The eye coupling optics can include volume holographic diffraction gratings.

Provided are holographic displays and operating methods of the holographic display. The holographic display includes a backlight portion configured to emit light for displaying an image; a deflector configured to control a direction at which the image is displayed; a lens portion configured to control a location where the image to be displayed is formed to match a location that satisfies a diffraction condition; and a panel portion configured to display a 3D image by combining the image to be displayed with an interference pattern generated with respect to an overlapped hologram.

A holographic optical element and a manufacturing method thereof, an image reconstruction method, and augmented reality glasses are disclosed. The holographic optical element includes a substrate, and a recording material layer in which at least two groups of interference fringes are recorded; each group includes a first interference fringe formed by a first signal light and a first reference light respectively incident from opposite sides of the recording material layer, and a second interference fringe formed by a second signal light and a second reference light respectively incident from opposite sides of the recording material layer; the second signal light passes through a lens before incidence; incident angles of the first signal light and the second reference light are equal; incident directions of the first signal light corresponding to respective groups are different, and focal lengths of the lenses are not equal.

A light engine arranged to form an image visible from a viewing window. The light engine comprises: a display device arranged to display a hologram of the image and spatially modulate light in accordance with the hologram; a hologram replicator arranged to receive the spatially modulated light and provide a plurality of different light propagation paths for the spatially modulated light from the display device to the viewing window; and a control device disposed in an optical path between the first replicator and the second replicator. The control device is angled such that light from the first replicator is incident at an acute angle on the control device, and each cell of the array is switchable between a first state and a second state.

There is provided a holographic projector comprising a hologram engine and a controller. The hologram engine is arranged to provide a hologram comprising a plurality of hologram pixels. Each hologram pixel has a respective hologram pixel value. The controller is arranged to selectively-drive a plurality of light-modulating pixels so as to display the hologram. Displaying the hologram comprises displaying each hologram pixel value on a contiguous group of light-modulating pixels of the plurality of light-modulating pixels such that there is a one-to-many pixel correlation between the hologram and the plurality of light-modulating pixels.

Augmented reality glasses include near eye displays the include sources of imagewise amplitude modulated light optical coupled to spatial phase modulators or active zone plate modulators and optically coupled to eye coupling optics. The sources of imagewise amplitude modulated light can include emissive 2D display panels or light sources coupled to imagewise amplitude modulators. The eye coupling optics can include volume holographic diffraction gratings.

Augmented reality glasses include near eye displays the include sources of imagewise amplitude modulated light optical coupled to spatial phase modulators or active zone plate modulators and optically coupled to eye coupling optics. The sources of imagewise amplitude modulated light can include emissive 2D display panels or light sources coupled to imagewise amplitude modulators. The eye coupling optics can include volume holographic diffraction gratings.