Holography in Pocket: Turning iPhone Portraits into Full-Parallax 3D Images

Holography, once the domain of high-energy lasers and complex camera arrays, is now entering the realm of everyday consumer technology. A recent study published in Optics Letters demonstrates how a single smartphone – specifically, an iPhone 13 Pro – can be used to generate full-parallax holographic portraits, offering a low-cost and accessible alternative to traditional methods.

From lasers to smartphones

Historically, holographic portraits required pulsed ruby or neodymium lasers capable of delivering several joules of energy in nanosecond bursts. These setups allowed researchers to capture living subjects without motion blur, but remained prohibitively expensive and technically demanding.

Later innovations, such as Gentet’s CHIMERA holographic stereogram technique, employed arrays of twelve synchronised HD cameras to produce ultra-realistic, full-colour holograms. While groundbreaking, this approach still demanded specialised equipment and expertise.