Eyepiece-free pupil-optimized holographic near-eye displays

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel eyepiece-free holographic near-eye display that uses pupil-optimized phase modulation to improve image quality and depth cues, advancing compact VR/AR display technology.

Contribution

It introduces a spherical phase modulation strategy for pupil optimization, eliminating the need for optical eyepieces in holographic NEDs.

Findings

Enhanced image quality through joint amplitude and phase optimization

Elimination of optical eyepieces for more compact design

Improved depth cue representation in holographic displays

Abstract

Computer-generated holography (CGH) represents a transformative visualization approach for next-generation immersive virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) displays, enabling precise wavefront modulation and naturally providing comprehensive physiological depth cues without the need for bulky optical assemblies. Despite significant advancements in computational algorithms enhancing image quality and achieving real-time generation, practical implementations of holographic near-eye displays (NEDs) continue to face substantial challenges arising from finite and dynamically varying pupil apertures, which degrade image quality and compromise user experience. In this study, we introduce an eyepiece-free pupil-optimized holographic NED. Our proposed method employs a customized spherical phase modulation strategy to generate multiple viewpoints within the pupil, entirely eliminating the dependence on conventional optical eyepieces. Through the joint optimization of amplitude and phase distributions across these viewpoints, the method markedly mitigates image degradation due to finite pupil sampling and resolves inapparent depth cues induced by the spherical phase. The demonstrated method signifies a substantial advancement toward the realization of compact, lightweight, and flexible holographic NED systems, fulfilling stringent requirements for future VR/AR display technologies.