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🔬Modern Optics

🔬modern optics review

9.3 Principles of holography

2 min readLast Updated on July 22, 2024

Holography captures light's amplitude and phase, creating stunning 3D images. Using lasers, it records interference patterns on special plates, reconstructing wavefronts when illuminated. This technique brings objects to life, offering depth and realism beyond traditional photography.

From art to security, holography's applications are diverse. Transmission holograms need lasers, while reflection types work with white light. Rainbow holograms add a splash of color, changing hues as you move. These variations showcase holography's versatility and visual appeal.

Fundamentals and Types of Holography

Principles of holography

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  • Holography records and reconstructs wavefronts of light containing both amplitude and phase information
  • Coherent light source (laser) splits into reference beam and object beam
  • Object beam illuminates object, scattered light interferes with reference beam
  • Interference pattern recorded on photosensitive material (holographic plate)
  • Developed holographic plate illuminated with reference beam diffracts light
  • Original object wavefront reconstructed, creating three-dimensional image (holograms, 3D images)

Types of holograms

  • Transmission holograms
    • Reconstructed image viewed by transmitting light through hologram
    • Requires laser or monochromatic light source for viewing (HeNe laser, diode laser)
  • Reflection holograms
    • Reconstructed image viewed by reflecting light off hologram
    • Viewable with white light, suitable for display purposes (art, security features)
  • Rainbow holograms
    • Type of transmission hologram viewable with white light
    • Incorporates horizontal slit to disperse light wavelengths
    • Different viewing angles result in image appearing in different colors (red, green, blue)

Principles and Applications of Holography

Interference in holographic imaging

  • Holography relies on interference between reference beam and object beam
  • Constructive and destructive interference creates holographic interference pattern
  • Temporal coherence maintains constant phase relationship over time
    • Necessary for creating stable interference pattern
  • Spatial coherence correlates phase of light wave across wavefront
    • Important for high-quality holograms with good contrast and resolution
  • Coherence length is maximum path difference for interference to occur
    • Determined by spectral bandwidth of light source
    • Lasers have high temporal and spatial coherence, ideal for holography (HeNe laser, diode laser)

Applications of holography

  • 3D displays
    1. Create true three-dimensional images without special glasses
    2. Potential applications in entertainment, advertising, medical imaging (holographic TVs, billboards, surgical planning)
  • Data storage
    1. Uses principles of holography to store and retrieve information
    2. Information encoded in interference pattern of hologram
    3. High storage density and fast data access rates vs traditional optical storage (CDs, DVDs)
  • Holographic optical elements (HOEs) used for beam shaping, splitting, combining in optical systems (lenses, gratings, mirrors)
  • Holographic interferometry used for non-destructive testing and measuring surface deformations (vibration analysis, stress measurement)
  • Holographic microscopy enables three-dimensional imaging of microscopic objects (cells, tissues, nanostructures)


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© 2025 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.