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Large-field-of-view large-size 3D holographic displays using wave-front shaping of multiple light scattering fields (HoloWS)

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - HoloWS (Large-field-of-view large-size 3D holographic displays using wave-front shaping of multiple light scattering fields (HoloWS))

Reporting period: 2021-11-04 to 2023-11-03

Holographic display is considered the holy-grail of three-dimensional (3D) auto-stereo displays because it generates arbitrary wavefronts providing imagery with all the 3D visual cues. Currently, holographic displays can be also widely considered as the ultimate 3D visualization technology. Holographic display has great market potential for various applications in the future, such as Holographic AR/VR, Holographic medical data, Holographic interactive displays, and Holographic 3D maps. The global holographic display market will witness a sharp increase over the next few years because the growing use of holographic displays in numerous industrial verticals is a major factor driving the growth of the universal holographic display market.

To create high-performance, dynamic 3D holographic displays with a large size and wide field-of-view angle (FOVA), a spatial light modulator (SLM) should be enough good to display a large optical extent (the product of size and FOVA) hologram. However, the information content of a hologram with a large optical extent is much greater than the display capabilities of current SLMs due to these SLM’s low space bandwidth product (SBP)(a small diffraction angle range and limited pixel number limiting the FOVA and holographic image size). Therefore, the SLM’s low display capabilities hinder the realization of dynamic 3D displays of holograms with a large optical extent.

To solve the above issue, the HoloWS project would like to develop a novel holographic display method based on the wavefront shaping of multiple light scattering fields to augment both limited viewing angle and image size without the aforementioned drawbacks. The goal of HoloWS is to develop novel holographic displays with wavefront shaping of multiple light scattering fields through based on optical-transfer-function (OTF)-engineering metasurfaces to break the constant constrain of the product between the field-of-view and size, a thus far unaddressed issue in holography. This could extend the scope of holography to new settings, as well as providing it with new tools to attack old problems.
The HoloWS project has five work packages to achieve the project objective.

The first work package of the project was the general planning & management. The main objective of this package was to ensure optimal project development and goal completion. Four tasks have been performed based on the package plan. The required milestones have been completed. The ER evaluate the progress of the HoloWS project with the Supervisor at the month 4, 8, 12, 16, 20. The Personal Career Development Plan, Data Management Plan, Report of progress during the first year, and Final report of the Project have been output.

The second work package of the project was the data analysis. The main objective of the second package is to obtain meaningful results for the three empirical studies. First, this project investigated the wave-front shaping model using the metasurface control of volume speckle fields. Second, metasurface samples for controlling volume speckle fields were investigated. Finally, the project performed the 3D holographic display with volume speckle fields using wavefront shaping through the NW metasurface sample. Based on these investigations, a wave-front shaping holography model was constructed; NW metasurface samples were fabricated; and the 3D holographic display experiments were performed.

The third work package of the project was public engagement. The main objective of this package is to get the action results to a broader audience and social stakeholders (non-academics). This project organized several meetings with the academic universities and companions to introduce the project and the experimental results. This project also attended conferences to introduce the related research results.

The fourth work package of the project was the training & career development. The main objective of this package is to acquire and develop knowledge and skills in multiple aspects, such as a) multilevel data and network analysis; b) communicating to non-scientists and teaching skills; c) competitive proposal writing; d) leading research team and project management. This project has completed four tasks to achieve the goals of the personal career development plan, training, etc in this package.

The fifth work package of the project was the dissemination, exploitation, and communication. The main objective of this package was the preparation of publications and outreach of the results to specialists for exploitation or the general public. This project has prepared several papers and three papers have been published. Moreover, part of the research results of the project have been reported in the optics conferences.
The HoloWS project has pushed the frontiers of holographic display research forward in a numerous ways.

The new competencies that have been acquired during the project have a strong and relevant impact on the ER career prospects. The HoloWS project itself allowed the ER to improve the quality of the research profile and obtain innovative findings regarding real-life dynamics of functioning. The project provided a parallel broadening of his career profile, previously focused on academia, to collaborations with social stakeholders in the development of innovative programs of holography via new technologies.

The project has prepared six articles for international peer-reviewed journals. First, the disordered holography framework was proposed to generate important conceptual advances and clear guidelines for future empirical research. Therefore, we prepared a theoretical paper disseminating this approach in detail. Second, findings derived from the project were reported through several empirical articles. Three manuscripts have been published in Applied Optics and ensure open access, following the Horizon 2020 guidelines (through open access journals and/or through the online UCM repository, as well as wider accessibility of pre-prints via posting, when adequate, in ResearchGate, Academia, and Google Scholar). Two prepared papers are as follows: High space-bandwidth-product (SBP) hologram carriers towards photorealistic 3D holography and Wide-spectrum three-dimensional near-field geometric phase metasurface holography.

In the aspect of dissemination of research findings in international conferences, the ER participated in symposiums of the most relevant scientific conferences in the photonics field. In 2022, The ER attended the digital holography and three-dimensional imaging topical meeting at Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK. The conference paper is as follows.  
A Correction Method for Focus Distortion Existed in SLM-based Holographic Vector Pattern Generation System for Optical Storage in Glass. In Digital Holography and Three-Dimensional Imaging (pp. Th3A-2). Optica Publishing Group, 2022, August.

Moreover, the project organized a seminar for the host lab and other young researchers on advanced techniques of CGH (with the added value of potentially designing additional lab experiments). The ER has also reported the related holographic displays for interested undergraduate assistants in the UCM student community via the website of the Faculty of the Department of Optics.
Holographic display system structure