Holography of Increasing Importance to Entering the Metaverse

Previously, Holography News® has reported on the differing approaches that companies are following to manufacture wearable virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) headsets as entry devices to access the Metaverse – the network creating a virtual 3D world (see HN March 2022).

While some technology companies are pursuing micro-organic light emitting diode (OLED) displays, others are planning to use holographic technology.

One technique that is currently attracting a lot of attention in this regard is the use of planar liquid crystal (LC) optics as a new type of holographic optical element (HOE) that will be part of the near-eye imaging system.

Besides the ability to record and reproduce arbitrary wavefronts as in traditional HOEs, planar LC optics also exhibit unique properties like polarisation selectivity, dynamic modulation, and large angular and spectral bandwidths. These advantages, combined with their ultra-thin profile and high efficiency, make planar LC optics extremely attractive for next-generation head-mounted displays, including AR and VR, to pursue high image quality, light weight, and compact form factor.