The Kinoform: A New Wavefront Reconstruction Device

A new, computer-generated, optical element called a kinoform is described. This device operates only on the phase of an incident wave and forms a single image by wavefront reconstruction without the unwanted diffraction orders characteristic of holograms. The kinoform is also more efficient in the use of spatial frequency potential and reconstruction energy and can be synthesized in considerably less computer time than the digital hologram.