Researchers at University of Cambridge are working to make real time 3D holographic displays possible. The researchers have designed a new type pixel element having unique switching capability. This newly designed pixel element enables greater control over displays at the level of individual pixels. Scientists believe that this research might bring real-time 3D holographic displays one step closer to reality. A photograph is created due to light falling on an object, whereas light bouncing from a surface creates a hologram. The bouncing light projects the image of the surface which gives viewer an impression as if the object is present right in front of them.
Large amount of optical information is present in a hologram and representation of holographic image requires information to be modulated on the display device. The findings of the research concludes that large area of the pixel is underutilised that can be used to store additional information in order to make the display suitable for holographic displays. Additional functionalities can be added with the help of nanostructures to increase the capacity of pixels.
The team working on this research is led by Calum Williams, a PhD student at Department of Engineering who is also the lead author of the paper and co-author Yunuen Montelongo. The team has achieved much control over holograms through plasmonics (study of how light interacts with metals on nanoscales). Real world applications require properties of optical antennas to be switched, which is not usually possible in currently available devices. However, integration with liquid crystals allowed researchers to actively switch which hologram is excited and there which output image is selected.
The research extends the opportunities in the field of plasmonics and these pixels could develop displays that would be totally different compared to currently used conventional displays.
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