PROGRAMMABLE HOLOGRAM GENERATOR

摘要

A programmable hologram generator comprises a layered structure of a pixelated VLSI chip (12), a reflective ferroelectric liquid crystal (14) that is physically disposed on the VLSI chip (12), and a photorefractive crystal (10) that is physically disposed on the liquid crystal. The VLSI chip is controlled by a computer (13) wherein holograms are digitally stored. The reflective state of the individual pixel areas of the liquid crystal are controlled or selected by this computer control of the VLSI chip. A desired hologram is written into the photorefractive crystal by a reference beam that illuminates the photorefractive crystal (10), and by an illumination beam (19) that is reflected from the selected pixels of the liquid crystal and thereafter interferes with the reference beam (20). The hologram that is written into the photorefractive crystal is a function of the control of the reflective state of the pixels of the liquid crystal, as this reflective state is in turn controlled by the pixels of the VLSI chip (12).