POSTECH Develops Next-Generation Holographic Display

A team of researchers at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) in South Korea, led by Prof Junsuk Rho and PhD candidate Joohoon Kim, have announced a major breakthrough in the development of angle-dependent holographic displays that could redefine human interaction with digital information. The technology allows holograms to display multiple images based on the observer’s viewing angle.

POSTECH’s meta-holographic display featuring different images based on viewing angle.

Objects can appear distinct depending on the viewer’s position, a concept harnessed in holographic technology to generate cinematic and realistic 3D holograms presenting different images based on the viewing angle. The main challenge, however, lies in controlling light dispersion according to the angle, making the application a complex task.

The team addressed the challenge by leveraging meta-surfaces, artificial nanostructures capable of precisely manipulating the characteristics of light. These meta-surfaces are incredibly thin and lightweight, approximately one- hundredth the thickness of a human hair, making them ideal for applications in miniaturised displays such as virtual and augmented reality devices. Through the use of meta-surfaces, the team devised a system that controls light to convey only a specific phase of information at a given angle, resulting in diverse images based on the angle of incidence.