Provided are a method and an apparatus for printing a hologram by using a mask. The hologram printing method according to an embodiment generates a hologram fringe pattern, splits the hologram fringe pattern on a hogel basis, generates the split hogels, masks a part of the generated hogel, and prints the masked hogel on a hologram medium. Accordingly, an empty space which occurs between hogels when a hologram is printed is prevented from being generated by using a mask, so that a fill factor can be effectively enhanced, and eventually, image quality of a hologram can be enhanced.

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 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.

An exposure device for recording a hologram. The exposure device includes at least one modulation unit, which is designed to generate a modulation beam representing a reference beam and/or an object beam by impressing a modulation representing at least one holographic element of the hologram onto a laser beam. The exposure device also includes at least one reduction unit, which is designed to generate a modified modulation beam using the modulation beam, the modified modulation beam having a smaller beam diameter than the modulation beam. The exposure device further includes at least one objective lens unit, which is designed to direct the modified modulation beam through an immersion medium onto a recording material in order to record the hologram by exposing the recording material to the modified modulation beam.

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-SLM 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.

Provided is a hologram printing method and apparatus using a hologram medium light efficiency map. A hologram printing method according to an embodiment emits a laser to a hologram medium, acquires an image by photographing light diffracted from the hologram medium, generates a light efficiency map of the hologram medium from the acquired image, and records hogels on the hologram medium by referring to the generated light efficiency maps of the hologram medium. Accordingly, light efficiency is measured on each hogel area, and hologram printing is performed by adjusting an intensity of a laser of each wavelength according to a hogel, so that uniformity of luminance and color of a hologram printing result can be enhanced.

Exemplary arrangements relate to methods for recording and reproducing holograms. A method of recording a hologram in a thresholded opto-magnetic medium (7) includes producing a collimated recording beam (1) with a pulsed laser. The intensity of the recording beam is selectively modulated by passage through a modulator (2). The recording beam is spatially shaped by passage through a shaping element (15). The shaped modulated recording beam is made convergent by passage through an aspheric lens (4). The convergent beam is deflected bidirectionally with a MEMS mirror (6) that is in operative connection with the modulator, such that multiple disposed locations on a surface of the medium are exposed to a constriction of the convergent shaped recording beam, causing a change in the medium in the locations. Reconstructing the hologram is carried out by illuminating the medium with a collimated laser beam and focusing with a lens, light from the illuminated medium onto a detection matrix. Additional methods of recording and reproducing holograms utilize alternative steps.

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, where the optics include at least one transparent body 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.

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 system includes a diffractive optical element configured to receive a first beam and a second beam interfering with one another to generate a first interference pattern. The diffractive optical element is also configured to forwardly diffract the first beam and the second beam to output a third beam and a fourth beam. The third beam and the fourth beam interfere with one another to generate a second interference pattern. The system also includes a detector configured to detect the second interference pattern.