Swave Announces World’s First ‘True’ Dynamic Holographic Display Chips

Holographic projection startup Swave Photonics (a new Imec and VUB spin-off) has announced its development of the world’s first 3D holographic display technology for compact extended reality (XR) form factors like smart glasses. Swave’s Holographic eXtended Reality (HXR) establishes a new advanced display technology, producing the world’s smallest pixel with a pixel pitch of less than 300nm – small enough to steer light and sculpt high-resolution images.

The chip-based technology will enable AI-powered spatial computing with a reality-first user experience, where digital elements complement, learn from, and interact with the physical world. The first application for the HXR display technology will be low-cost, lightweight AR smart glasses with all-day battery life.

Using proven non-volatile phase change material (PCM) as a ‘pixel’ on a standard CMOS semiconductor process, Swave’s HXR technology achieves true 3D holography up to 64 gigapixels. The resulting images are realistic and accurately represent depth, providing a natural and immersive viewing experience. The chipset is designed to meet all the AR design goals – including size, weight, field of view, and brightness – for next-generation glasses, headsets, and other form factors.