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Presenting visual information using binary‐phase holography has a number of advantages over conventional video projection techniques. However, acceptable image quality for video applications has yet to be realised. In addition, the computational complexity of hologram generation has precluded real‐time operation. The authors present a new approach to hologram generation and display which allows high‐quality images to be projected holographically, in real time.

Holographic displays employing binary phase modulation have been demonstrated to be attractive on the grounds of efficiency and miniaturization, and they offer a plausible approach to two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) image projection and display. A novel algorithm--one-step phase retrieval--and corresponding hardware architecture have recently been proposed, providing the performance required for real-time holographic display. However, since viewing angle varies inversely with pixel size, very small display pixels are required to achieve a wide field of view. This is particularly problematic for 3D displays, as the requirement for a large display with small pixels has hitherto necessitated an unachievably large electrical bandwidth. We present a novel approach, utilizing fixed random pixelated quaternary phase masks of greater resolution than the displayed hologram, to dramatically increase the viewing angle for 2D and 3D holographic displays without incurring a bandwidth penalty or significantly degrading image quality. Furthermore, an algorithm is presented to generate holograms accounting for the presence of such a phase mask, so that only one mask is required.

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Light Blue Optics' holographic laser projection technology exploits the physical process of two‐dimensional diffraction to form video images. Such a method of image projection and display has long been desired, but was never previously realised, due to computational complexity and the poor quality of the resultant images. LBO's approach represents an entirely new approach to hologram generation and display, matched to human visual perceptive factors, which overcomes both of these problems enabling — for the first time — a high quality, real‐time holographic projector.