2024-05-12 17:14:56
Using a device called a spatial light modulator (SLM), researchers turned a two-dimensional image displayed on the iPhone 14 Pro into a three-dimensional hologram. They described their results in detail in a study published in the journal Optics Letters.
The researchers applied a technique they called a “hologram cascade” in which light from a still image is repeatedly modified to create a multi-layered three-dimensional image.
In the study, the cascade started with a static color image displayed on an iPhone. The light waves emitted from it were improved through a spatial light modulator. spatial light modulator, SLM) is a device used to control and regulate the phase (time), amplitude (strength or brightness), and polarization (direction) of light waves. Using SLM, the researchers gradually refined and layered the light waves and created a 3D image step by step.
To create the holographic effect, the researchers had to determine the specific light corrections needed to create a 3D hologram from a photo displayed on an iPhone screen.
The research is unique because it shows how “incoherent” light from everyday devices — such as smartphones and laptops — can be used to create holographic displays, the paper said. Incoherent light is light sources that do not have a constant phase or wavelength.
Traditionally, computer-generated holography (CGH) requires “coherent” light sources, such as lasers, that have the same phase and wavelength, making them easier to precisely control. This makes them ideal for creating clear, high-resolution holograms.
But lasers are expensive and can be harmful to the eyes, making them impractical for everyday use, the researchers said. In addition, they can cause visual artifacts, such as “point noise,” which is random, grainy interference in images that can reduce image quality and clarity.
“Our method does not use lasers, so point noise is avoided,” says Ryoichi Horisaki, lead author of the study and an associate professor at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Information Science and Technology.
Coherent light is less suitable for holography because its waves are not synchronized, making it difficult to control. However, the team used a cascade of holograms to structure the iPhone’s chaotic light waves and form a precise 3D image.
The researchers say the method could be a “more cost-effective and less complex approach” to creating holographic displays using widely available devices. It could also be used to create interfaces for augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) devices in the future.
“Our approach has advantages for compact, cost-effective and safe near-eye displays, including smart glasses,” says Horisaki.
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2024-05-12 17:14:56