Color holography to produce highly realistic three-dimensional images.

The 1964 publication by Emmett Leith and Juris Upatnieks [J. Opt. Soc. Am. 54, 1295 (1964)] introduced the possibility of using holograms to record three-dimensional (3D) objects. Since then, there has been an interest in creating display holograms, i.e., holograms primarily produced to show objects in 3D. More recently, full color holography has become a reality, which was predicted in the 1964 paper. To record a hologram in which both the 3D shape and the color of the object are accurately reproduced, at least three laser wavelengths are needed. By computer simulation of the holographic color rendering process, the required amount of laser wavelengths and their distribution within the visible electromagnetic spectrum have been investigated. The quality of a color hologram also depends on the properties of the recording material. The demand on a panchromatic material for color holography is described. Recording techniques for color holograms are presented as well as the future of color holography as the perfect 3D imaging technique.