Holographic Lenses for See-Through Applications Recorded Without Prisms

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Holographic optical elements are key for see-through displays, acting as mirrors or waveguide couplers.
• Efficient mass fabrication of waveguide couplers is a significant challenge.
• Wavelength shift recording and photopolymers offer potential solutions but face issues like volume changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and analyze holographic lenses as wave couplers for improved see-through display applications.
• To investigate the limitations of prism-less recording methods.
• To evaluate the impact of photopolymer shrinkage on hologram quality.

Main Methods:

• Holographic lenses were designed and recorded using transmission and reflection geometries.
• The influence of photopolymer shrinkage on optical performance was analyzed.
• Holograms with varying focal lengths were compared.

Main Results:

• Holographic lenses enable control over magnification and optical aberrations.
• Prism-less recording introduces specific limitations.
• Photopolymer shrinkage significantly affects hologram quality, with variations observed between transmission and reflection recordings.

Conclusions:

• Holographic lenses are a viable approach for waveguide couplers, offering additional design parameters.
• Understanding and mitigating photopolymer shrinkage is crucial for high-quality holographic optical elements.
• Transmission and reflection holography exhibit different sensitivities to shrinkage effects.