An optical device including a first rigid substrate, a flexible holographic optical element, a transparent flexible material having a variable shear transmission property across an in-plane direction of the flexible holographic optical element, and a second rigid substrate, where the flexible holographic optical element and the transparent flexible material are located between the first and second rigid substrates, where the variable shear transmission property of the transparent flexible material transmits variable amounts of a shear force applied to the first or second rigid substrates across the in-plane direction of the flexible holographic optical element.

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 and apparatus for in-line manufacture of a security document with a structured security element is provided in which a continuous web of document substrate is fed through a series of processing stations. The processing stations include a station for forming a structured security element in a radiation sensitive coating applied to the document substrate, and at least one station for applying at least one additional layer to the document substrate excluding the security element area. In a security document manufactured with the method or apparatus, the additional layer or layers have a combined thickness which is preferably substantially equal to the height of the structured security element or which differs from the height of the structured security element by a predetermined amount.

An apparatus and method for curing an electron-beam coating on a flexible substrate. A continuously looping master web is mated with the flexible substrate to cover the electron-beam coating when passing through an electron-beam curing unit. Curing of the electron-beam coating takes place in normal atmospheric conditions, thereby eliminating the need for nitrogen gas or the like in a curing chamber.

A method includes obtaining a first optical assembly including a first optical element and a first flexible membrane. The first optical element has a first optical element surface and a second optical element surface that is opposite to the first optical element surface. The first flexible membrane has a first membrane surface and a second membrane surface that is opposite to the first membrane surface. The first optical element is a geometric phase optical element or a polarization volume hologram optical element. The second optical element surface of the first optical element is coupled with at least a first portion of the first membrane surface of the first flexible membrane. The method also includes coupling the first optical element with the first flexible membrane attached thereto to a target substrate. Also disclosed is an optical assembly comprising the first optical element and the first flexible membrane.

An apparatus and method for curing an electron-beam coating on a flexible substrate. A continuously looping master web is mated with the flexible substrate to cover the electron-beam coating when passing through an electron-beam curing unit. Curing of the electron-beam coating takes place in normal atmospheric conditions, thereby eliminating the need for nitrogen gas or the like in a curing chamber.

The present invention concerns a method for the production of a moulded body containing at least one volume hologram by means of injection moulding, comprising the following method steps: provision of a hologram film composite having two sides comprising at least one photopolymer layer with at least one volume hologram, a shear protective layer and a substrate layer, and optionally, further composite film layers, insertion of the hologram film composite into a metallic injection mould, such that one side of the hologram film composite is at least partially in contact with the injection mould wall, introduction of a molten thermoplastic polymer for the production of the moulded body, wherein at least the outermost layer of the hologram film composite on the side of the hologram film composite coming into contact with the molten polymer contains essentially the same polymer raw materials as the molten thermoplastic polymer, and extrusion coating of the hologram film composite with the molten thermoplastic polymer, and solidification of the molten thermoplastic polymer.

The invention also concerns a moulded body produced in this manner and advantageous applications of this moulded body.

A system and method for extending a projection boundary for a holographic display device. The system includes a display device with electroactive polymer strips attached to the bottom of the display device and two microfluidic display layers affixed to the top. The two microfluidic display layers have holographic projectors therebetween. Light is projected from the holographic projects through the second microfluidic layer and holographic objects are created where the projected light converges. A user changes the dimensions or location of a holographic object using finger gestures. The system calculates the focal length required to make the change instructed by the user and the microfluidic display layers deform to create a convex lens in the second microfluidic layer with the focal length required to make the change instructed by the user.

An optical device including a first rigid substrate, a flexible holographic optical element, a transparent flexible material having a variable shear transmission property across an in-plane direction of the flexible holographic optical element, and a second rigid substrate, wherein the flexible holographic optical element and the transparent flexible material are located between the first and second rigid substrates, wherein the variable shear transmission property of the transparent flexible material transmits variable amounts of a shear force applied to the first or second rigid substrates across the in-plane direction of the flexible holographic optical element.

A security element with a first volume hologram layer, which spans a coordinate system with the coordinate axes x and y perpendicular to each other in an unbent state of the security element, wherein a first volume hologram is introduced into the first volume hologram layer in at least one first area, wherein the first volume hologram is formed such that a first item of information is visible for an observer in a first observation situation in a first predefined bent state of the security element and is not visible in the first observation situation in the unbent state of the security element or vice versa.