See-through light field displays for augmented reality

Abstract

Augmented reality (AR) is a fascinating technology that receives considerable attention of public and industries. Here, we introduce an optical tool, holographic optical element (HOE), which can be applied for AR applications. HOEs are holographic volume gratings, which have transparency and distinctive optical characteristics. HOEs can perform the roles of optical elements by transforming an incident wavefront to a predefined wavefront via diffraction [Close 1975]. Since HOEs are usually recorded in thin film such as photopolymers, they have various advantages in weight, cost, and thickness. Thus, there have been several applications using HOEs, including see-through light field displays [Hong et al. 2014] and head-mounted displays [Kasai et al. 2001].