An apparatus for producing an optically variable film includes a laser configured to emit a beam, a telescoping lens section having a first lens and a second lens spaced apart by a first distance and an interferometer configured to direct the beam toward a workpiece. The laser may be operated at a predetermined power level and the first and second lenses are sized and spaced relative to one another to direct the beam onto the workpiece at about 200-230 dots per inch. The workpiece may include a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) layer configured to be ablated by the beam, forming a microstructure in the surface of the layer. The microstructure may be randomized and used to present non-chroma visual effects.

A device for producing an edge-lit-hologram having a light source, in particular a laser light source, for generating a light beam, optical splitter for splitting the light beam generated by the light source into an object beam and a reference beam, imprinter for imprinting computer-generated information pertaining to the edge-lit-hologram to the object, optics for overlapping the object beam and the reference beam on or in a photosensitive recording medium for imprinting the edge-lit-hologram, wherein the optics comprise at least one body transparent to the reference beam through which the reference beam enters the photosensitive recording medium during operation of the device. The at least one transparent body shaped and disposed in the device such that the reference beam enters the body at an angle of less than 10 to the normal on the surface of the body or enters the body perpendicular to the surface of the body.

A method for producing a computer-generated hologram, including the method steps of generating a reference beam, generating an object beam, imprinting computer-generated information pertaining to the hologram to the object beam, and overlapping of the object beam and the reference beam on or in a photosensitive recording medium for imprinting the hologram, wherein successively a plurality of portions of the photosensitive recording medium are simultaneously impinged upon with the object beam and the reference beam to produce a plurality of sub-holograms, and wherein the angle of incidence at which the reference beam is incident on the surface of a first portion of the recording medium is different from the angle of incidence at which the reference beam impinges upon the surface of a second portion of the recording medium.

An apparatus for producing an optically variable film includes a laser configured to emit a beam, a telescoping lens section having a first lens and a second lens spaced apart by a first distance and an interferometer configured to direct the beam toward a workpiece. The laser may be operated at a predetermined power level and the first and second lenses are sized and spaced relative to one another to direct the beam onto the workpiece at about 200-230 dots per inch. The workpiece may include a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) layer configured to be ablated by the beam, forming a microstructure in the surface of the layer. The microstructure may be randomized and used to present non-chroma visual effects.

A method for producing a volume hologram with at least one first area in a first color and at least one second area in a second color includes, providing a volume hologram layer made of a photopolymer; arranging a master with a surface structure on the volume hologram layer; exposing the master using coherent light, wherein light which is incident on at least one first partial area of the surface of the master is diffracted or reflected in the direction of the at least one first area of the volume hologram layer and light which is incident on at least one second partial area of the surface of the master is diffracted or reflected in the direction of the at least one second area of the volume hologram, and wherein the light diffracted or reflected by the first and second partial areas differs in at least one optical property.

A holographic printing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is disclosed. The system may include: a light source; a geometrical phase holographic element having a phase retardation of /4; and an optical member for copying and printing a wavefront through self-interference of light transmitted through the geometrical phase holographic element. According to an embodiment, the light source, the geometrical phase holographic element, and the optical member may be disposed in a line. According to an embodiment, the geometrical phase holographic element and the optical member may be disposed with a predetermined distance therebetween, and the predetermined distance may be a distance that enables self-interference of light transmitted through the geometrical phase holographic element.

A printing device (106) includes a laser source and a LCOS-SLM (Liquid Crystal on Silicon Spatial Light Modulator). The printing device generates a laser control signal and a LCOS-SLM control signal. The laser source (110) generates a plurality of incident laser beams based on the laser control signal. The LCOS-SLM (112) receives the plurality of incident laser beams, modulates the plurality of incident laser beams based on the LCOS-SL M control signal to generate a plurality of holographic wavefronts (214,216) from the modulated plurality of incident laser beams. Each holographic wavefront forms at least one corresponding focal point. The printing device cures a surface layer or sub-surface layer (406) of a target material (206) at interference points of focal points of the plurality of holographic wavefronts. The cured surface layer of the target material forms a three-dimensional printed content.

A novel electronic system provides fast three-dimensional model generation, social content sharing of dynamic three-dimensional models, and monetization of the dynamic three-dimensional models created by casual consumers. In one embodiment, a casual consumer utilizes a dedicated real-time 3D model reconstruction studio with multiple camera angles, and then rapidly create dynamic 3D models with novel computational methods performed in scalable graphics processing units. In another embodiment, uncalibrated multiple sources of video recording of a targeted object are provided by a plurality of commonly-available consumer video recording devices (e.g. a smart phone, a camcorder, a digital camera, etc.) located at different angles, after which the uncalibrated multiple sources of video recording are transmitted to a novel cloud computing system for real-time temporal, spatial, and photometrical calibration and 3D model reconstruction. The dynamic 3D models can be uploaded, listed, and shared among content creators and viewers in an electronic sharing platform.

A novel electronic system provides fast three-dimensional model generation, social content sharing of dynamic three-dimensional models, and monetization of the dynamic three-dimensional models created by casual consumers. In one embodiment, a casual consumer utilizes a dedicated real-time 3D model reconstruction studio with multiple camera angles, and then rapidly create dynamic 3D models with novel computational methods performed in scalable graphics processing units. In another embodiment, uncalibrated multiple sources of video recording of a targeted object are provided by a plurality of commonly-available consumer video recording devices (e.g. a smart phone, a camcorder, a digital camera, etc.) located at different angles, after which the uncalibrated multiple sources of video recording are transmitted to a novel cloud computing system for real-time temporal, spatial, and photometrical calibration and 3D model reconstruction. The dynamic 3D models can be uploaded, listed, and shared among content creators and viewers in an electronic sharing platform.

A method of manufacturing a thin film optical apparatus includes providing a substrate and applying an alignment layer over the substrate. The alignment layer ranges from about 50 to 100 nm in thickness. The method includes imprinting a hologram with a desired optic pattern onto the alignment layer and applying at least one layer of mesogen material over the alignment layer.