PROGRAMMABLE JOINT FRACTIONAL TALBOT COMPUTER-GENERATED HOLOGRAMS

Multilevel phase holograms can be obtained from the combination of two binary phase-only holograms set up in a fractional joint Talbot confi guration. Among possible solutions, the quarter-Talbot location is of particular interest because it permits the generation of four-level ph ase holograms from the combination of two binary {0, pi} phase hologra ms. At the same time recent advances in electrically addressed ferroel ectric liquid-crystal spatial light modulators for producing binary pu re phase-only holograms make possible the implementation of programmab le high-diffraction-efficiency computer-generated holograms. An extens ion of computer generation of holograms is proposed that includes spat ial constraints related to the fractional Talbot effect.