HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF HOLOGRAPHIC DISPLAYS

1947 - Hungarian scientist Dennis Gabor first came up with the concept of a hologram while
trying to improve the resolution of electron microscopes. He derived the name for holography,
with "holos" being the Greek word for "whole," and "gramma" which is the term for "message”.
1960 - The world's first laser was developed by Russian scientists Nikolay
Basov and Alexander Prokhorov, and American scientist Charles H. Townes. This was a major
milestone for holography because laser technology serves as the basis of some modern day
holographic displays.
1962 - Yuri Denisyuk invented the white-light reflection hologram which was the first hologram
that could be viewed under the light given off by an ordinary incandescent light bulb.
1968 - White-light transmission holography was invented by Stephen Benton This type of
holography was unique because it was able to reproduce the entire spectrum of colors by
separating the seven colors that create white light.
1972 - Lloyd Cross produced the first traditional hologram by using white-light transmission
holography to recreate a moving 3-dimensional image.
1989 - MIT spatial imaging group pioneered electroholography, which uses magnetic waves and
acoustic-optical sensors to portray moving pictures onto a display
2005 - The University of Texas developed the laser plasma display, which is considered the first
real 3D holographic display.
2010 - Hollow pyramid shaped prisms are released into the consumer market, which if placed
over a flat screen (or smartphone), can emulate a three-dimensional image by means of 2-D light
refraction.
2012 - The first holographic display is implemented in a car's interactive navigation display
system. The technology was showcased through the exclusive luxury car, the Lykan HyperSport.
2013 - MIT researcher Michael Bove predicts that holographic displays will enter the mass
market within the next ten years, adding that we already have all the technology necessary for
holographic displays.
HOLOGRAM
"holos" being the Greek word for "whole," and "gramma" which is the term for "message”
A hologram is an image that appears to be three dimensional and which can be seen with the
naked eye. Typically, a hologram is a photographic recording of a light field, rather than
an image formed by a lens. Holography is the science and practice of making holograms.
holography requires the use of laser light for illuminating the subject and for viewing the
finished hologram. the hologram is recorded using a source of laser light, which is very pure in
its color and orderly in its composition.

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 TYPES OF HOLOGRAM
There are two basic types of holograms

 Reflection holograms
 Transmission holograms
(i) Reflection holograms form images by reflecting a beam of light off the surface of the
hologram. This type of hologram produces very high quality images but is very
expensive to create.

(ii) Transmission holograms form images by transmitting a beam of light through the hologram.
This type of hologram is more commonly seen since they can be inexpensively mass-produced.
Embossed holograms, such as those found on credit cards, are transmission holograms with a
mirrored backing.

HOLOGRAPHIC DISPLAYS
A holographic display is a type of display that utilizes light diffraction to create a virtual three-
dimensional image of an object. Holographic displays are distinguished from other forms of 3D
imaging in that they do not require the aid of any special glasses or external equipment for a
viewer to see the image.

Types of holographic display

 Laser Plasma
Laser plasma displays, developed in 2005 by the University of Texas, utilize a series of powerful
lasers that focus light in desired positions in order to create plasma excitations with the oxygen
and nitrogen molecules in the air. This type of holographic display is capable of producing
images in thin air, without the need for any sort of screen or external refraction media. The laser
plasma display is able to depict very bright and visible objects, but it lacks in terms of resolution
and picture quality.

Micro magnetic Piston Display

The piston display, invented by Belgian company IMEC in 2011, utilizes a MEMS (micro-
electro-mechanical system) based structure. In this type of display, thousands of microscopic
pistons are able to be manipulated up and down to act as pixels, which in turn reflect light with a
desired wavelength to represent an image. This developing technology is currently in the
prototype phase, as IMEC is still developing the mechanism that will mobilize their "pixels"
more effectively. Some of the limitations of this type of this display include the high cost,
difficulty of creating large screens, and its susceptibility to mechanical failures due to the
relatively large amount of moving parts (microscopic pistons)

Holographic Television Display

The holographic television display was created by MIT researcher Michael Bove in 2013. Dr.
Bove used a Microsoft Kindest camera as a relatively effective way to capture subjects in a
three-dimensional space. The image is then processed by a PC graphics card and replicated with
a series of laser diodes. The produced image is fully 3-dimensional and can be viewed from all
360 degrees to gain spatial perspective. Bove claims that this technology will be widespread by
2023, and that the technology will cost as much as today's ordinary consumer TV's.

Touchable Holograms
Touchable holograms were originally a Japanese invention that became further developed by
American microprocessor company Intel. Touchable hologram technology is the closest modern
representation of the holographic displays that one might see in sci-fi movies such as Star Wars
and particularly in the Star Trek television franchise. This display is unique in that it can detect a
user's touch by sensing movements in the air. The device then provides haptic feedback to the
user by sending an ultrasonic air blast in return. In Intel's demonstration of this technology, the
display was showcased representing a touchless, responsive piano. A possible implementation
for this technology would be interactive displays in public kiosks; because this type of display
does not require a user to physically touch a screen, it ensures that bacteria and viruses do not get
transmitted from person to person.
Technology used

Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on
the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The term "laser" originated as
an acronym for "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation"

A laser differs from other sources of light in that it emits light coherently. Spatial
coherence allows a laser to be focused to a tight spot, enabling applications such as laser
cutting and lithography. Spatial coherence also allows a laser beam to stay narrow over great
distances , Lasers can also have high temporal coherence, which allows them to emit light with a
very narrow spectrum, i.e., they can emit a single color of light. Alternatively, temporal
coherence can be used to produce pulses of light with a broad spectrum but durations as short as

Some example of laser with different color and wavelength

Most modern day holograms use a laser as its light source. In this type of hologram, a laser is
shone onto a scene that is then reflected onto a recording apparatus. In addition, part of the laser
must shine directly onto a specific area of the display to act as a reference beam. The purpose of
the reference beam is to provide the recording device with information such as background light,
picture angle, and beam profile. The image is then processed to compensate for any variation in
picture fidelity, and then sent to the display.

Electro holography
Electro holographic displays are digital displays that transmit stored image data using an
electromagnetic resonator. These signals are then read by an acoustic-optic modulator and
converted into a legible image and displayed on an RGB laser monitor. Electro holographic
displays hold an advantage over traditional displays in terms of picture accuracy and range of
color.
 Full Parallax/HPO/VPO
Full parallax holography is the process of delivering optical information in both the x and y
directions. The resulting image will therefore provide the same perspective of a scene to all
viewers regardless of viewing angle.
Horizontal Parallax Only (HPO) and Vertical parallax Only (VPO) displays only deliver optical
information in two dimensions. This method of display partially compromises the image in
certain viewing angles, but it requires much less computational power and data transfer. Because
humans' eyes are positioned side by side, HPO displays are generally preferred over VPO
displays, and sometimes preferred over full parallax displays due to their lesser demand on
processing power.

MEMS
MEMS technology allows holographic displays to incorporate very small moving parts into its
design. The prime example of a MEMS-enabled display is the piston display, listed in the above
section. Micro pistons used in the display can behave like pixels on a computer monitor,
allowing for sharp image quality.

How does it work holography?

People use the term hologram for many things – mostly for things that are not
holograms … But what makes a real hologram or what is holography?
Light propagates in space in the form of waves – similar to waves visible on a
water surface. Laser light has the special property of being coherent. That means
light waves from a laser have a fixed wavelength (for instance red only) and also a
fixed relation of their phases, so all waves propagate in sync. With 3 lasers in red,
green and blue, one can generate all other colors.
If several coherent light waves meet at a certain position in space they interfere:
that means their amplitudes can either sum up to a larger value (constructive
interference) or cancel out each each other to a smaller or even 0 value (destructive
interference). Coherent light from lasers differs in this regard from incoherent light
sources (e.g. your incandescent light bulb or a LED) where the intensities can also
sum up to larger values but never cancel each other out.
In a holographic display, which is illuminated by a laser, each pixel of the display
sends out light waves – the phase of the light wave is modulated by driving the
display. Changing the phase basically is a defined delay of light from one pixel
compared to other pixels. One can do this for instance with a suitable LCD.
By choosing certain phase values for neighboring pixels then, similar to focusing
light with a lens, light waves from these pixels can be made to interfere
constructively at certain positions in space. At those positions light from all those
pixels sums up in order to generate a bright point in space – a 3D pixel if you like.
The 3D space seen from an observer position towards the holographic display and
beyond can be completely filled with 3D pixels at any depth position in front or
behind the physical display screen, all in the same high resolution you know from
HDTV. So different from other types of displays that generate flat images on the
screen, for holography it is possible to really generate 3D points in space, each
with its own color and brightness.
One may say “I don’t care how it works but I know 3D displays from my
electronics store. What do I need complicated holography for?” The truth in this
statement is that only the features to an observer matter, so holography must
deliver additional value. And it does, as explained in more detail on
the Technology page and elsewhere. Regular flat panel displays generate flat 2D
images. Stereo 3D does the same but with individual images for each eye (each
gets its own perspective) – but the flat images differ from what one is used from
seeing in real life. Real objects are not on a flat surface. They are anywhere in
space – some very close, some far away. So real 3D provides additional visual
information to the brain, like eye focus or motion parallax. The deeper the 3D, the
more sensitive people get to the missing visual information of Stereo 3D. This may
show in eye fatigue or even headaches, or one simply cannot fuse the two views
and sees double images. The fact that holographic 3D generates the same visual
information as a real environment is the key motivator for realizing holographic
displays. Once it’s perfectly done, one cannot distinguish between a real object and
a holographically reconstructed virtual object

Benefits or advantages of 3D Hologram

Following are the benefits or advantages of 3D Hologram:
➨It is very cost effective solution to make and to hire.
➨It has higher storage capacity compare to other methods.
➨It delivers enhanced feasibility of objects including depth.
➨They are complex patterns and hence offers security in wide
applications as mentioned above.
➨It offers creation of multiple images on single plate including 3D
images.
➨Holographic technologies can be easily combined with other
technologies.
➨It does not require special glasses to view and can be viewed from any
angle.
➨It does not require any projection screen.
➨It is difficult to replicate as it is difficult to alter or transpose.
Drawbacks or disadvantages of 3D
Hologram
Following are the drawbacks or disadvantages of 3D Hologram:
➨It has higher production cost compare to 2D projection.
➨It is not easily seen in the presence of fluorescent lighting.
➨Use of applying the concept of holographic projection in the design of
products are costly.
➨It is time consuming to construct images using 3D holograms.
➨Holographic data storage suffers from noise and sensitivity issues.
Moreover it has material limitations.
Holography – Current and Future Applications

Holography is a very useful tool in many areas, such as in

commerce, scientific research, medicine, and industry.

Some current applications that use holographic

technology are:

 Holographic interferometry is used by researchers and

industry designers to test and design many things, from
tires and engines to prosthetic limbs and artificial bones
and joints.

 Supermarket and department store scanners use a

holographic lens system that directs laser light onto the
bar codes of the merchandise.
 Holographic optical elements (HOE’s) are used for
navigation by airplane pilots. A holographic image of the
cockpit instruments appears to float in front of the
windshield. This allows the pilot to keep his eyes on the
runway or the sky while reading the instruments. This
feature is available on some models of automobiles.

 Medical doctors can use three-dimensional holographic

CAT scans to make measurements without invasive
surgery. This technique is also used in medical education.

 Holograms are used in advertisements and consumer

packaging of products to attract potential buyers.
 Holograms have been used on covers of magazine
publications. One of the most memorable Sports
Illustrated covers was the December 23, 1992 issue
featuring Michael Jordan. Holograms have also been
used on sports trading cards.

 The use of holograms on credit cards and debit cards

provide added security to minimize counterfeiting.

 Holography has been used to make archival recordings

of valuable and/or fragile museum artifacts.

 Sony Electronics uses holographic technology in their

digital cameras. A holographic crystal is used to allow
the camera to detect the edge of the subject and
differentiate between it and the background. As a result,
the camera is able to focus accurately in dark conditions.

 Holography has been use by artists to create pulsed

holographic portraits as well as other works of art.
Future applications of holography include:

 Future colour liquid crystal displays (LCD’s) will be

brighter and whiter as a result of holographic technology.
Scientists at Polaroid Corp. have developed a holographic
reflector that will reflect ambient light to produce a whiter
background.
 Holographic night vision goggles
 Many researchers believe that holographic televisions
will become available within 10 years at a cost of
approximately $5000. Holographic motion picture
technology has been previously attempted and was
successful in the 1970s. The future of holographic motion
pictures may become a reality within the next few years.

 Holographic memory is a new optical storage method

that can store 1 terabyte (= 1000 GB) of data in a crystal
approximately the size of a sugar cube. In comparison,
current methods of storage include CD’s that hold 650 to
700 MB, DVD’s that store 4.7 GB, and computer hard
drives that hold up to 120 GB.
 Optical computers will be capable of delivering trillions
of bits of information faster than the latest computers.
 Education applications
 Marketing with 3D holographic display
 3D simulation displays for scientific visualization
 Telepresence and video conferencing
 Military and space applications
 Entertainment displays
Conclusions
Holographic technology and spectral imagining has
endless applications, as far as the human mind can
imagine
In future holographic displays will be replacing all
displays in all sizes , from small phone screen to large
projectors.
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