We propose a new multicriteria method for the determination of compute
r-generated holograms (CGH's). For this purpose, the direct binary sea
rch (DBS) algorithm for computing CGH's has been modified to converge
on a new error function that defines the optimal trade-off among diffe
rent criteria. This approach allows us to control the trade-off betwee
n the amplitude error and the diffraction efficiency and to provide a
rigorous figure of merit. Comparisons among different encoding methods
show that the best results are obtained with a modified version of th
e DBS method combined with the iterative Fourier transform algorithm.
(C) 1997 Optical Society of America.