Image reconstruction in an electro-holographic display

The optical phenomena arising in the process of forming reconstructed images in a hologram are explained and shown visually with the use of light field images. The light fields at different distances from the hologram on a DMD reveal that the reconstructed image of each object point is formed by the corresponding Fresnel zone pattern, which is reconstructed from the hologram when it is illuminated by a reconstruction laser beam. The reconstructed image is a circle of least confusion laden with noise and distortion. It has a finite size and does not appear at the object distance from the hologram due to the presence of aberrations, especially that of a strong astigmatism. The astigmatism appears along the direction of the rotating axis of each pixel and its cross at right angles. The aberrations and noise are responsible for the distortion and deterioration of the resolution in the reconstructed image, the difference of the image position from that of the object, and a reduction in the depth resolution. The light field images also reveal intensity fluctuations due to the addition of the in- and out-phase of the rays from the hologram. (paper)