100-megapixel computer-generated holographic images from Active Tiling: a dynamic and scalable electro-optic modulator system

Abstract

Giga-pixel scale displays or spatial light modulators are required in order to form directly viewable 3-D images of 0.5m in size using the principles of computer generated holography (CGH). This has been a key bottleneck preventing commercial development of electro-holography. Active Tiling is a modular spatial light modulator system developed by the authors to provide a route to replay images from giga-pixel scale CGHs. This paper will present the latest development of a multi-channel Active Tiling unit and results from this system for the first time. A holographic 3D display system using a 4 channel Active Tiling modulator with a new replay optics system has demonstrated directly viewable 3-D images and animations from 100 Mega-pixel CGH data. This provided viewing of both horizontal parallax only (HPO) and full parallax 3-D images up to 140mm in size. 25 Mega-pixels of CGH data is written by each channel onto a liquid crystal optically addressed spatial light modulator at high resolution. The modular design of Active Tiling permits CGH data to be written seamlessly across multiple channels which can be updated at rates up to 30 Hz. A Fourier Transform optical replay system was developed and integrated with the 4-channel Active Tiling system to form the CGH images.