Computer-generated holography as a generic display technology

Computer-generated holography technique is a powerful technology suitable for a wide range of display types, including 2D, stereoscopic, autostereoscopic, volumetric, and true 3D imaging. Computer-generated holography is an emerging technology, made possible by increasingly powerful computers, that avoids the interferometric recording step in conventional hologram formation. Instead, a computer calculates a holographic fringe pattern that it then uses to set the optical properties of a spatial light modulator, such as a liquid crystal microdisplay. The SLM then diffracts the readout light wave, in a manner similar to a standard hologram, to yield the desired optical wavefront. Although CGH-based display systems can be built today, their high cost makes them impractical for many applications.