Recent advances in integral imaging three-dimensional (3D) displays have been hindered by challenges such as low resolution and a narrow field of view. To overcome these limitations, a promising approach involves using multi-angle directional backlighting, which controls light direction by projecting it at specific angles onto the display panel. While this method can enhance display resolution through time multiplexing, the practicality of the system is compromised by the large size of the backlight module. To address this issue, we propose a novel design that integrates integral imaging technology with a compact directional backlight module. The innovative design incorporates holographic optical elements (HOEs) to enable multi-angle light reuse within a time-multiplexed backlight module. These specially designed and fabricated HOEs ensure that the backlight source emits collimated light rays, thus achieving a more compact form factor. Furthermore, a HOE stitching structure is introduced to accommodate larger display screens. This new design reduces the volume of the backlight module by 90% while generating three angles of collimated backlight, effectively tripling the display resolution. The integration of directed backlight module, display screen, and microlens array into a single, glasses-free 3D display system represents a significant advancement. By optimizing the design parameters of each component, this approach facilitates the development of a more compact and practical integral imaging 3D display system. This approach significantly enhances the portability and usability of integral imaging systems, paving the way for future innovations in 3D display technology.
Holography always records the 3D object information via interference and then reconstructs the 3D object via diffraction. A holographic optical element (HOE) can be fabricated by analog holographic exposure or digital holographic printing. Since HOE can be recorded on a thin plate or film of holographic material, it is always utilized as a combiner for augmented reality near-eye displays to achieve a compact form factor. The traditional method of HOE fabrication is to divide a coherent light beam into both a signal beam and a reference beam, and then make both beams meet at the holographic material for interference. The optical path of the traditional fabrication system employs more optical devices with complex optical designs. Therefore, a HOE fabrication system based on common optical path interference is proposed in this paper. This paper presents the eyeglass-style HOE fabrication method based on common optical path interference. The HOE fabrication system with a common optical path is designed with fewer optical devices and less vibration effect. As the reference beam, the incident beam illuminates the hologram film. Part of the incident beam passes through the film and is reflected by the curved mirror to illuminate the hologram film from the other side, which works as the signal beam. The crucial device of the proposed system is the curved mirror. We analyzed the effects on HOE fabrication using an off-axis parabolic mirror and a spherical mirror. The experiment finally fabricated the HOEs and verified them for the AR near-eye display.
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