Pulsed holographic system having independent universal beam adjustment

A holographic recording unit comprising:

• a mounting base for mounting a pulsed laser,
• an adjustable optics assembly on said base,
• holographic optics on said base for splitting the laser output beam into scene and reference beams and directing the latter beams to said optics assembly along scene and reference beam paths, respectively,
• said optics assembly including first optical means in said scene beam path for directing said scene beam outwardly from the recording unit along an external beam path having a fixed direction relative to the assembly for illuminating a subject situated along a given axis of the assembly, means for positioning a holograhpic recording medium along and in a transverse plane of said axis for illumination of the medium by reflected scene beam light from the subject, and second optical means in said reference beam path for directing said reference beam toward said plane along an external path having a fixed direction relative to the assembly to illuminate said recording medium, whereby said recording unit is adapted to record holograms of subjects located along said axis, and
• said optical means and positioning means being adjustable in unison to adjust the direction of said axis relative to said base by adjustment of said optics assembly.

A holographic recording unit comprising:

• a housing,
• a pulsed laser in said housing,
• holographic optics in said housing for splitting the laser output beam into scene and reference beams and directing the latter beams along internal scene and reference beam paths, respectively, within the housing,
• first optical means on said housing in said scene beam path for directing the scene beam outwardly from the housing along an external beam path to illuminate a subject located on a given axis extending outwardly from the housing,
• means on said housing for positioning a holographic recording medium on and in a plane transverse to said axis for illumination by reflected scene beam light from the subject,
• second optical means on said housing in said reference beam path for directing said reference beam toward said plane along an external beam path to illuminate said recording medium, whereby said recording unit is adapted to record holograms of subjects located on said axis, and
• means for adjusting said optical means and said positioning means relative to said housing to adjust the direction of said external beam paths relative to said housing while maintaining a fixed relation between said external beam paths and said recording medium.