Systems and methods for designing, optimizing, patterning, forming, and manufacturing symphotic structures are described herein. A symphotic structure may be formed by identifying a continuous refractive index distribution calculated to convert each of a plurality of input reference waves to a corresponding plurality of output object waves. The continuous refractive index distribution can be modeled as a plurality of subwavelength voxels. The system can calculate a symphotic pattern as a three-dimensional array of discrete dipole values to functionally approximate the subwavelength voxels. A symphotic structure may be formed with a volumetric distribution of dipole structures. A dipole value, such as a dipole moment (direction and magnitude) of each dipole is selected for the volumetric distribution to convert a plurality of input reference waves to a target plurality of output object waves.

Holographic volume gratings in waveguide cells can be recorded using many different methods and systems in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. One embodiment includes a holographic recording system including at least one laser source configured to emit recording beams and a movable platform configured to move between a first position and a second position, wherein when the movable platform is in the first position, the at least one laser source is configured to emit a first set of one or more recording beams toward a first set of one or more stations and when the movable platform is in the second position, the at least one laser source is configured to emit a second set of one or more recording beams toward a second set of one or more stations.

In a display device, an image having an aspect not equal to 1 is formed by an image forming unit configured to form an image, and the image is guided as an image light to a display position by an optical system. The optical system, which is provided with a diffraction optical element, deflects the image light. In the diffraction optical element, a pitch direction of a pattern for deflecting the image light coincides with a direction in which the aspect of the image is narrow. In the display device, the direction in which the image light is deflected by the diffraction optical element coincides with the direction in which the aspect of the image formed is narrow, thus making it possible to suppress unevenness of brightness and hue within a plane of an image displayed.

A holographic display is comprised of space-multiplexed elemental modulators, each of which consists of a surface acoustic wave transducer atop an anisotropic waveguide. Each “line” of the overall display consists of a single anisotropic waveguide across the display's length with multiple surface acoustic wave transducers spaced along the waveguide length, although for larger displays, the waveguide may be divided into segments, each provided with separate illumination. Light that is undiffracted by a specific transducer is available for diffraction by subsequent transducers. Per transducer, guided-mode light is mode-converted to leaky-mode light, which propagates into the substrate away from the viewer before encountering a volume reflection grating and being reflected and steered towards the viewer. The display is transparent and all reflection volume gratings operate in the Bragg regime, thereby creating no dispersion of ambient light.

A lighting device (31), in particular a rear luminaire, for a vehicle (30) is provided. The lighting device (31) has a hologram (34) and a light source (32) for illuminating the hologram (34). An image, more particularly a real image (35), is thereby generated, which can also lie outside the physical boundaries of the lighting device (31).

A device and a method for manufacturing holographic optical elements. The device includes at least two partial light beams and one interference light beam, one deformable mirror in each case per partial light beam, a control unit, which is configured to actuate the deformable mirrors to adapt a wavefront of the partial light beam, and a holographic film. The deformable mirrors are situated so as to each reflect precisely one partial light beam and to direct the reflected partial light beam on the holographic film, and the interference light beam being directed on the holographic film to interfere with the reflected partial light beams so as to simultaneously generate at least two holographic optical elements.

A holographic display system including an electronic device, a camera and a holographic projection unit. The holographic projection unit is configured to generate a volumetric projection for viewing by a user in response to a rendering signal provided by a volumetric display application executing on the electronic device. The holographic projection unit includes a housing, a projector at least partially disposed within the housing and operative to display images based upon the rendering information, and a semi-reflective element being oriented to reflect light from the images in order to create the volumetric projection. The camera is oriented such that the user is within a field of view, the camera being operative to provide the image information to the volumetric display application for determination of a position of the user. The volumetric projection is adapted in response to the position of the user.

A method for producing a hologram on a curved substrate plate includes providing a curved substrate plate having a substrate surface, the actual geometry of which is subject to a tolerance deviation with respect to a predetermined desired geometry; providing an inflatable cushion with a cushion surface that can be deformed under the effect of pressure and is preformed into the predetermined desired geometry or with a predetermined deviation therefrom; applying a holographic master in the form of a flexible thin layer to the deformable cushion surface and applying a hologram-recording layer to the substrate surface; pressing or placing the holographic master onto the hologram-recording layer by way of the cushion surface deformed to the actual geometry, thereby achieving full surface-area contact between them with a substantially constant predetermined layer thickness of the hologram-recording layer, and exposing the hologram-recording layer to form a hologram.

An interference structure having a nanovoided hologram material is described. The nanovoided hologram material may have an index of refraction difference of approximately 0.4. The interference structure may include about 10% to 90% nanovoids by volume. The interference structure may be formed using a mixture of a monomer, an initiator, and solvent. The mixture may be disposed on a substrate and irradiated with two sources of light spaced apart from each other and shining on the same region of the mixture to generate an interference pattern in the mixture, leading to the selective polymerization of regions of the mixture where there is constructive interference of light. Various other devices, methods, and systems are also disclosed.

A mobile augmented reality near to eye display having one of a single chip programmed, configured, or adapted to permit user selective field of view and a variable resolution image projection, or a single image guide adapted to multiplexed full color image transfer to achieve full color, 90 degrees FOV, and retinal image resolution.