HoloHDR: Multi-color Holograms improve Dynamic Range

Holographic displays generate Three-Dimensional (3D) images by displaying single-color holograms time-sequentially, each lit by a single-color light source. However, representing each color individually limits peak intensity (brightness) and dynamic range in holographic displays. This paper introduces a new driving scheme, HoloHDR, for realizing higher dynamic range images in holographic displays. Unlike the conventional driving scheme, HoloHDR utilizes three light sources to illuminate each displayed hologram simultaneously at various brightness levels. In this way, HoloHDR reconstructs a multiplanar three-dimensional target scene using consecutive multi-color holograms and persistence of vision. We co-optimize multi-color holograms and required brightness levels from each light source using a gradient descent-based optimizer with a combination of application-specific loss terms. We experimentally demonstrate that HoloHDR can increase the brightness levels in holographic displays up to three times with support for a broader dynamic range, unlocking new potentials for perceptual realism in holographic displays.