| Summary: | The main aim of this research was to create and analyse a compact holographic optical system which is illuminated through the edge of the substrate. Edge-lit holograms are used in order to minimize the space requirements for various possible replay geometries. Many aspects of the recording, analysing, and replay techniques were found to be very critical for creating an efficient optical system. The edge-lit holograms were recorded in a photopolymer film developed by Du Pont. When recording an interference pattern in the film with a steep reference beam, the effects of attenuation, beam ratio, and refractive index matching on optical efficiency are much more pronounced than in traditional holography due to the effective film thickness and Fresnel reflections.
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