Complex light modulator, holographic display apparatus, and method of generating hologram pattern

A holographic display apparatus comprising:

• a backlight unit configured to provide light having coherence;
• a Fourier lens configured to focus the light;
• and
• a complex light modulator provided in a path of the light,
• wherein the complex light modulator includes a first complex pixel having first complex light modulation characteristics and a second complex pixel having second complex light modulation characteristics,
• wherein the first complex pixel includes first sub-complex pixels that are provided in a 3×3 format and are configured to implement the first complex light modulation characteristics,
• wherein the second complex pixel includes second sub-complex pixels that are provided in a 3×3 format and are configured to implement the second complex light modulation characteristics,
• wherein the first complex pixel and the second complex pixel respectively include at least two first overlapping pixels that are included in the first sub-complex pixels and the second sub-complex pixels, and
• wherein among the sub-complex pixels provided in the 3×3 format, which include the at least two first overlapping pixels, phases of sub-complex pixels respectively provided at positions (1,1), (1,3), (2,2), (3,1), and (3,3) are 0°, phases of sub-complex pixels respectively located at positions (1,2) and (3,2) are 120°, and phases of sub-complex pixels respectively located at positions (2,1) and (2,3) are 240°, where a sub-complex pixel at a position (m,n) is provided at an mth row and nth column of the 3×3 format.

A method of generating a hologram pattern, the method comprising:

• determining complex light modulation characteristics of complex pixels provided in two dimensions;
• determining light modulation characteristics of sub-complex pixels that are provided in a 3×3 format and are included in each of the complex pixels, based on the complex light modulation characteristics of the complex pixels;
• and
• generating overlapping pixels by overlapping target pixels, which are immediately adjacent to each other and have a same phase, among the sub-complex pixels included in each of complex pixels adjacent to each other among the complex pixels,
• wherein the adjacent complex pixels respectively include the overlapping pixels based on generating the overlapping pixels, and
• wherein among the sub-complex pixels provided in the 3×3 format, which include the overlapping pixels, phases of sub-complex pixels respectively provided at positions (1,1), (1,3), (2,2), (3,1), and (3,3) are 0°, phases of sub-complex pixels respectively located at positions (1,2) and (3,2) are 120°, and phases of sub-complex pixels respectively located at positions (2,1) and (2,3) are 240°, where a sub-complex pixel at a position (m,n) is provided at an mth row and nth column of the 3×3 format.

A complex light modulator comprising:

• an amplitude modulator configured to modulate an amplitude of light;
• a phase modulator configured to modulate a phase of the light;
• and
• a processor configured to provide a holographic data signal to the amplitude modulator,
• wherein the phase modulator and the amplitude modulator are further configured to generate a first complex pixel having first complex light modulation characteristics and a second complex pixel having second complex light modulation characteristics,
• wherein the first complex pixel includes first sub-complex pixels that are provided in a 3×3 format,
• wherein the second complex pixel includes second sub-complex pixels that are provided in a 3×3 format, and
• wherein the first complex pixel and the second complex pixel respectively include at least two first overlapping pixels, the at least two first overlapping pixels being two of the first sub-complex pixels and two of the second sub-complex pixels, and
• wherein among the sub-complex pixels provided in the 3×3 format, which include the at least two first overlapping pixels, phases of sub-complex pixels respectively provided at positions (1,1), (1,3), (2,2), (3,1), and (3,3) are 0°, phases of sub-complex pixels respectively located at positions (1,2) and (3,2) are 120°, and phases of sub-complex pixels respectively located at positions (2,1) and (2,3) are 240°, where a sub-complex pixel at a position (m,n) is provided at an mth row and nth column of the 3×3 format.