Automated mastering of holographic waveguide displays with robot-mounted optics
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Automated recording of holographic waveguide displays is limited by the simultaneous need for highly adjustable beam angles exceeding the waveguide’s critical angle and centimeter-scale recording beams. We report the first automated holographic waveguide recording platform, to our knowledge, combining two six-axis robot-mounted collimators with a custom edge-lit prism system. Exposure poses are computed from target grating vectors, including shrinkage compensation and polarization alignment, using inverse ray tracing and robot kinematics. Calibration yields mean angular accuracy better than 0.1°, and interferometry shows phase stability within ± λ /20 during recording. A fabricated 2D eyebox-expanding validation sample transmits readable text, and its modulation transfer function is evaluated. We analytically explain a pupil-sampling-induced intensity modulation in the laser-scanned image. The presented fabrication platform accelerates prototyping and supports the industrialization of holographic waveguide displays.
Source: Applied Optics
DOI: 10.1364/ao.608922
Authors: Marvin Feil, Reinhold Fiess, Wilhelm Stork
Institution: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Media Technology
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204752551