Hologram preparing method

• US 7,099,058 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2002
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Artnow Limited, Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Original Assignee: Artnow Limited, Hamamatsu Photonics KK
• Inventors: Takemori, Tamiki, Kon, Kenji
• Primary Examiner(s): Assaf, Fayez G.
• Application Number:
  US10/497,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20050030603A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,369 Days
• Field of Search: 359/28, 359/22, 359/30, 359/31, 359/23
• US Class Current: 359/28
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/02 Details of features involved during the holographic process; Replication of holograms without interference recording
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/041 Optical element in the object space affecting the object beam, not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0486 Improving or monitoring the quality of the record, e.g. by compensating distortions, aberrations
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/268 Holographic stereogram
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/30 discrete holograms only
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/0216 Optical components G03H2001/0224, G03H1/0256 take precedence; corresponding details, see subgroups of G03H2223/00
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/0415 for recording reflection holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/0428 Image holography, i.e. an image of the object or holobject is recorded G03H1/0406 takes precedence; holographic microscope G03H2001/005
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2210/20 2D object
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2210/22 2D SLM object wherein the object beam is formed of the light modulated by the SLM
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2222/22 Spatial coherence
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2223/12 Amplitude mask, e.g. diaphragm, Louver filter
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2223/14 Diffuser, e.g. lens array, random phase mask
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2223/19 Microoptic array, e.g. lens array

Abstract

In the method for producing holograms, a plurality of images displayed on a spatial optical modulating element 6 is used as the object light. Through a lens array 7 composed of a plurality of lenses disposed corresponding to each of the images, which are included in the object light, and a reducing optical system 9 and 10 for reducing the object light emitted from the lens array 7, the object light is made to irradiate a recording surface 11 along with a reference light; thereby interference light between the object light and the reference light is recorded on the recording surface 11. Between the spatial optical modulating element 6 and the lens array 7, partitions 15 for separating the respective images are provided; thereby noise is reduced.

Claims

1. A method for producing holograms wherein a plurality of images displayed on a spatial optical modulating element or diffusion screen are used as object light, through a lens array composed of a plurality of lenses disposed corresponding to the respective images included in the object light and a reducing optical system for reducing the object light emitted from said lens array, said object light is made to irradiate the recording surface along with a reference light;

thereby interference light between said object light and said reference light is recorded on the recording surface, characterized in that

partitions for separating said respective images are provided at least between said spatial optical modulating element and said lens array.

2. The method for producing holograms according to claim 1, wherein a diffusion light source is provided in front of said spatial optical modulating element.

3. The method for producing holograms according to claim 1, wherein said diffusion light source is provided with a laser light source and a diffusing plate disposed between the laser light source and said spatial optical modulating element.

4. The method for producing holograms according to claim 3, wherein said diffusion light source is provided with a magnifying lens that expands the beam diameter of a laser light emitted from said laser light source to be made to irradiate said diffusing plate and a collimating lens that changes the diffusion light emitted from said diffusing plate to a parallel light to be made to irradiate said spatial optical modulating element.

5. The method for producing holograms according to claim 4, wherein when the wavelength of the luminous flux emitted from said diffusing plate is represented with λ

;

the diameter of said collimating lens is represented with DS;

the distance between said collimating lens and said spatial optical modulating element is represented with LS;

the angle formed by the optical axis of said collimating lens and a line connecting an edge portion in the diameter direction of the collimating lens and an edge portion of said spatial optical modulating element is represented with θ

; and

the pitch between the pixels displayed on said spatial optical modulating element is represented with P, DS and LS are arranged so that θ

is resulted in sin<sup>−

1</sup> (λ

/P) or more.

6. The method for producing holograms according to claim 1, wherein the distance between a display surface of said plurality of images and the lens array composed of a plurality of lenses and the distance between said lens array and said reducing optical system are arranged so that the position of real image or virtual image formed by said lens array and said reducing optical system on said display surface coincides with the observing position of said holograms, or is away from said holograms.