A method for producing a hologram (1), (1) for security elements (1a) and/or security documents (1b). One or more virtual hologram planes (10) are arranged in front of and/or behind one or more virtual models (20) and/or one or more virtual hologram planes (10) are arranged such that they intersect one or more virtual models (20). One or more virtual light sources (30) are arranged on one or more partial regions of the surface (21) of one or more of the virtual models (20). One or more virtual electromagnetic fields (40) are calculated starting from at least one of the virtual light sources (30) in one or more zones (11) of the one or more virtual hologram planes (10). In the one or more zones (11), in each case, a virtual total electromagnetic field (41) is calculated on the basis of the sum of two or more, of the virtual electromagnetic fields (40) in the respective zone (11). One or more phase images (50) are calculated from the virtual total electromagnetic fields (41) in the one or more zones (11). A height profile (60) of the hologram (1) is calculated from the one or more phase images (50) and the height profile (60) of the hologram (1) is incorporated into a substrate (2) to provide the hologram (1).

A holographic security or identification device (10) comprises an object, or a flexible substrate (12) configured to be conformable to a desired, curved shape; and a plurality of structures (14) formed on or in the object to have a desired curved configuration, or formed in or associated with the substrate and arranged to adopt a desired curved configuration when the substrate is conformed to a desired shape, wherein the plurality of structures (14) are configured to receive light (20) of a selected at least one wavelength or range of wavelengths and to produce, using the received light, a desired holographic image (22) for security or identification purposes when in the desired configuration.

A method for producing a computer-generated hologram including producing a reference beam, producing an object beam, applying computer-generated information regarding the hologram to the object beam, overlapping the object beam and the reference beam on or in a light-sensitive recording medium in order to apply the hologram by exposure, wherein several portions of the light-sensitive recording medium are exposed, one after the other, to the object beam and the reference beam simultaneously in order to produce a plurality of sub-holograms, wherein the angle of incidence at which the reference beam hits the surface of a first portion of the recording medium is different from the angle of incidence at which the reference beam hits the surface of a second portion of the recording medium. A change in the angle of incidence of the reference beam is achieved by changing the point of incidence of the reference beam on a lens.

A deflection optical element, which diffracts incident light, includes a substrate having translucency, and a holographic material layer disposed so as to overlap the substrate, the holographic material layer being formed with a diffraction grating composed of interference fringes, wherein the holographic material layer is formed with an alignment mark where the interference fringes are discontinuous, and the alignment mark is located in an optically effective area where the holographic material layer diffracts the incident light.

A system that contains a semi-ellipsoidal SLM holder supporting a plurality of flat rectangular SLMs, which are placed onto the semi-ellipsoidal surface of the holder in the most surface-covering way. The system contains a coherent light source placed in the first focal point of the ellipsoid. The second focal point of the ellipsoid defines the area in which an image-receiving object is to be placed. All the SLMs are illuminated by a diverging light beam emitted from the coherent light source. In each SLM, the light is subjected to phase-amplitude modulation and is converted into an image-carrying beam, which convergently fells onto the object on which the target image is to be produced. Thus, a pattern is formed on the object by a maskless method in which a plurality of SLMs are combined into a common image-forming holographic unit.

Systems, devices, and methods for holographic optical elements are described. A holographic optical element includes a first layer of holographic material and a second layer of holographic material. The first layer of holographic material includes a first hologram responsive to light in a first waveband and a second hologram responsive to light in a second waveband. The second layer of holographic material includes a third hologram responsive to light in a third waveband and may include a fourth hologram responsive to light in a fourth waveband. The first, second, third, and fourth wavebands are distinct and may comprise light of red, blue, green, and infrared wavelengths, respectively. Distribution of the three or four holograms on two layers of holographic material allows each hologram to have an index modulation of greater than 0.016, a diffraction efficiency of greater than 15%, and an angular bandwidth of greater than 12.

An optical article including a substrate, and a holographic waveguide covering at least part of the substrate and including two main surfaces, at least one of them conforming to a surface of the substrate, and at least first and second zones that are configured so that light incoming on one of the first and second zones is at least partially guided towards the other of the first and second zones.

One example includes an injection-molded component comprising a surface surrounded by peripheral edges and which is formed via an injection-molding process. The surface includes a three-dimensional surface feature to render the surface as being non-planar across at least a portion of the surface. The surface also includes a plurality of holographic micro-features formed across the surface and being to interact with ambient light to provide a holographic image corresponding to an authentication mark associated with the injection-molded component.

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.

A display device for representing two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional objects or scenes, having at least one spatial light modulation device having pixels for modulating light, at least one optical system, and at least one light guiding device. Light beams originating from the individual pixels of the spatial light modulation device are incident on the at least one light guiding device at different angles on average in relation to the surface of the at least one light guiding device and can be coupled therein, whereby a coupling angular spectrum is definable. The light beams propagating in the at least one light guiding device can be coupled out of the at least one light guiding device at different angles on average in relation to an observer region, whereby a decoupling angular spectrum is definable. The decoupling angular spectrum is enlarged in comparison to the coupling angular spectrum.