Blazed hologram fabrication

Claim 2

An imaging method comprising the steps of: a. directing an object modulated beam of coherent radiation at one face of a thin photohardenable layer having a randomly varying surface; b. directing a reference beam of coherent radiation, in phase with the coherent radiation of said object modulated beam, at the other face of said layer to create a standing wave interference pattern in and at one face of said layer to create a corresponding change in and at said face of said layer in resistance to a solvent, and c. subjecting said photohardenable layer on said substrate to a solvent for the relatively less hardened portions of said layer to create a blazed surface on said layer.

Claim 3

The imaging method of claim 1 wherein the object modulated beam is a collimated beam.

Claim 4

The imaging method of claim 2 wherein the reference beam is a collimated beam.

Claim 5

The imaging method according to claim 1 including the additional step of depositing a Thin layer of reflective material over and in conformance with said blazed surface.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1 in which said photohardenable layer is formed by applying a thin coating thereof to an irregular surfaced substrate.

Claim 7

An imaging method according to claim 4 wherein said reflective surface comprises a reflective metal which is deposited on said blazed photohardenable layer surface by vacuum evaporation.

Claim 8

The blazed surface product of the method of claim 1.

Claim 9

The blazed surface product of the method of claim 3.

Claim 10

A method of reconstructing a hologram produced according to claim 1 comprising the step: a. directing a reconstruction beam of coherent radiation at substantially the same direction relative to the blazed surface as the direction of the image construction reference beam relative to the photohardenable layer.

Claim 11

The method according to claim 9 wherein the reconstruction beam is similar in wavelength and wave front curvature to the image construction reference beam.

Claim 12

A method of reconstructing a hologram produced according to claim 3 comprising the step of: a. directing a reconstruction beam of coherent radiation at substantially the same direction relative to the blazed surface as the direction of the image construction reference beam relative to the photohardenable layer.

Claim 13

The method according to claim 11 wherein the reconstruction beam is similar in wavelength and wave front curvature to the image construction reference beam.

Claim 14

A reconstruction image method comprising the steps of: a. coating a photohardenable layer on a randomly varying surface, said layer forming an irregular surface conforming to the randomly varying surface upon which it is coated; b. directing an object modulated beam of coherent radiation at one face of said layer; c. directing a reference beam of coherent radiation, in phase with the coherent radiation of said object modulated beam, at the other face of said layer to create a standing wave pattern in and at the exposed face of said layer to create a corresponding change in and at the exposed face of said layer in resistance to a solvent; d. subjecting said exposed face of said layer to a solvent for the relatively less hardened portions of said layer to create a blazed photohardenable layer surface; and e. directing a reconstruction beam of coherent radiation at substantially the same direction relative to the blazed photohardenable layer as the direction of the reference beam in step (c) above is relative to the photohardenable layer.

Claim 15

A reconstruction image method comprising the steps of: a. coating a photohardenable layer on a randomly varying surface, said layer forming an irregular surface conforming to the randomly varying surface upon which it is coated; b. directing an object modulated beam of coherent radiation at one face of said layer; c. directing a reference beam of coherent radiation, in phase with the coherent radiation of said object modulated beam, at the other face of said layer to create a standing wave pattern in and at the exposed face of said layer to create a corresponding change in and at the exposed face of said layer in resistance to a solvent; d. subjecting said exposed face of said layer to a solvent for the relatively less hardened portions of said layer to create a blazed photohardenable layer surface; and e. directing a reconstruction beam of coherent radiation at substantially the same direction relative to the blazed photohardenable layer as the direction of the reference beam in step (c) above is relative to the photohardenable layer.

Claim 16

The method according to claim 13 wherein said reconstruction beam is of substantially the same spectral makeup as the reference beam in step (c).

Claim 17

The method according to claim 13 wherein the reconstruction beam is directed through the photohardenable layer before striking the blazed surface.

Claim 18

The imaging method according to claim 13 wherein said object modulated beam and said reference beam are collimated beams.

Claim 19

An imaging method comprising the steps of: a. coating a slurry comprising a finely ground transparent material mixed with a photoresist on a transparent substrate, said coating forming a randomly varying photohardenable layer on said substrate; b. directing an object modulated beam of coherent radiation at one face of said layer; and c. directing a reference beam of coherent radiation, in phase with the coherent radiation of said object modulated beam, at the other face of said layer to create a standing wave interference pattern in and at the exposed face of said layer to create a corresponding change in and at said exposed face of said layer in resistance to a solvent.

Claim 20

An imaging method comprising the steps of: a. coating a slurry comprising a finely ground transparent material mixed with a photoresist on a transparent substrate, said coating forming a randomly varying photohardenable layer on said substrate; b. directing an object modulated beam of coherent radiation at one face of said layer; and c. directing a reference beam of coherent radiation, in phase with the coherent radiation of said object modulated beam, at the other face of said layer to create a standing wave interference pattern in and at the exposed face of said layer to create a corresponding change in and at said exposed face of said layer in resistance to a solvent.

Claim 21

An imaging method according to claim 17 including the additional step of subjecting said exposed face of said layer to a solvent for the relatively less hardened portions of said layer to create thereon a blazed photohardenable layer surface.

Claim 22

A method of reconstructing a hologram produced accOrding to claim 18 comprising the step of: a. directing a reconstruction beam of coherent radiation at substantially the same direction relative to the blazed surface as the direction of the image construction reference beam relative to the photohardenable layer.

Claim 23

A reconstruction imaging method according to claim 19 wherein the reconstruction beam is similar in wavelength and wave front curvature to the image construction reference beam.

Claim 24

An imaging method comprising the steps of: a. coating a photohardenable layer on a randomly varying surface; b. directing a first object modulated beam of coherent radiation at one face of said layer; c. directing a first reference beam of coherent radiation, in phase with and similar in wavelength and wave front curvature to the image modulated beam, at the other face of said layer to create a standing wave interference pattern in and at the exposed face of said layer to create a corresponding change in and at the exposed face of said layer in resistance to a solvent; and d. repeating steps (b) and (c) above at least once with at least a second object modulated beam of coherent radiation and a second reference beam of coherent radiation.

Claim 25

An imaging method comprising the steps of: a. coating a photohardenable layer on a randomly varying surface; b. directing a first object modulated beam of coherent radiation at one face of said layer; c. directing a first reference beam of coherent radiation, in phase with and similar in wavelength and wave front curvature to the image modulated beam, at the other face of said layer to create a standing wave interference pattern in and at the exposed face of said layer to create a corresponding change in and at the exposed face of said layer in resistance to a solvent; and d. repeating steps (b) and (c) above at least once with at least a second object modulated beam of coherent radiation and a second reference beam of coherent radiation.

Claim 26

An imaging method according to claim 21 including the additional step of subjecting said exposed face of said layer to a solvent for the relatively less hardened portions of said layer to create a blazed photohardenable layer surface thereon.

Claim 27

A method of reconstructing a hologram produced according to claim 22 comprising the step of: a. directing reconstruction beams of coherent radiation similar in wavelength and wave front curvature to the image construction reference beams at substantially the same direction relative to the blazed surface as the direction of the image construction reference beams relative to the photohardenable layer.

Claim 28

A method of reconstructing a hologram produced according to claim 22 comprising the step of: a. illuminating said blazed surface with a beam of white light to produce a multicolor image in direct relation to said image construction reference beams.

Claim 29

An imaging method comprising the steps of: a. coating a photohardenable layer on a transparent substrate; b. exposing said layer to a highly diffuse beam of ultraviolet light, developing said layer to thereby generate thereon a highly diffusing surface; c. directing an object modulated beam of coherent radiation at one face of said layer; and d. directing a reference beam of coherent radiation, in phase with the coherent radiation of said object modulated beam, at the other face of said layer to create a standing wave interference pattern in and at the exposed face of said layer to create a corresponding change in and at said exposed face of said layer in resistance to a solvent.

Claim 30

An imaging method comprising the steps of: a. coating a photohardenable layer on a transparent substrate; b. exposing said layer to a highly diffuse beam of ultraviolet light, developing said layer to thereby generate thereon a highly diffusing surface; c. directing an object modulated beam of coherent radiation at one face of said layer; and d. directing a reference beam of coherent radiation, in phase with the coherent radiation of said object modulated beam, at the other face of said layer to create a standing wave interference pattern in and at the exposed face of said layer to create a corresponding change in and at said exposed face of said layer in resistance to a solvent.

Claim 31

The method of reconstructing a hologram produced according to claim 1 comprising the step of: a. directing a white light source at said blazed surface thereby reconstructing the positive first order image without distortion while other images and wavelengths will be randomly diffused.

Claim 32

The method of reconstructing a hologram produced according to claim 3 comprising the step of: a. directing a white light source at said blazed surface thereby reconstructing the positive first order image without distortion while other images and wavelengths will be randomly diffused.

Claim 33

A hologram image construction method comprising the steps of: a. first coating a photohardenable layer on a randomly varying surface, said layer forming an irregular surface conforming to the randomly varying surface upon which it is coated; b. second coating said photohardenable layer with a material having the same index of refraction as said photohardenable layer, said coating conforming to the randomly varying surface of said photohardenable layer and having a nonrandomly relieved exposed surface; c. directing an object modulated beam of coherent raDiation at one face of said photohardenable layer; d. directing a reference beam of coherent radiation, in phase with the coherent radiation of said object modulated beam, at the other face of said layer to create a standing wave pattern in and at the face of said photohardenable layer in contact with said second coating thereon to create a corresponding change at said face of said photohardenable layer in resistance to a solvent; e. removing said second coating to expose said photohardenable layer; and f. subjecting said exposed photohardenable layer to a solvent for the relatively less hardened portions of said layer to create a blazed photohardenable layer surface.

Claim 34

A hologram image construction method comprising the steps of: a. first coating a photohardenable layer on a randomly varying surface, said layer forming an irregular surface conforming to the randomly varying surface upon which it is coated; b. second coating said photohardenable layer with a material having the same index of refraction as said photohardenable layer, said coating conforming to the randomly varying surface of said photohardenable layer and having a nonrandomly relieved exposed surface; c. directing an object modulated beam of coherent raDiation at one face of said photohardenable layer; d. directing a reference beam of coherent radiation, in phase with the coherent radiation of said object modulated beam, at the other face of said layer to create a standing wave pattern in and at the face of said photohardenable layer in contact with said second coating thereon to create a corresponding change at said face of said photohardenable layer in resistance to a solvent; e. removing said second coating to expose said photohardenable layer; and f. subjecting said exposed photohardenable layer to a solvent for the relatively less hardened portions of said layer to create a blazed photohardenable layer surface.

Claim 35

A method of reconstructing a hologram produced according to claim 28 comprising the steps of: a. coating said blazed photohardenable layer with a material having the same refractive index as said photohardenable layer prior to the subjecting of said photohardenable layer to a solvent and having a nonrandomly relieved exposed surface, and b. directing a reconstruction beam of coherent radiation through said coating at the blazed surface of said photohardenable layer.

Claim 36

The method of reconstructing a hologram produced according to claim 28 comprising the step of: a. directing a reconstructing beam of coherent radiation at substantially the same direction relative to the blazed photohardenable layer as the direction of the reference beam was relative to the photohardenable layer.