Next-generation 3D holographic displays are poised to advance fields ranging from entertainment and healthcare to advanced manufacturing. By actively shaping the optical wavefront, these displays can accurately render 3D objects with all natural depth cues. However, achieving this level of precision requires tiny pixels (on the order of the wavelength of light), which inherently necessitates exceptionally high overall pixel counts. Consequently, the immersiveness of these displays, quantified by their space-bandwidth product (SBP) [1], is fundamentally constrained by the immense hardware demands. Because rendering high-resolution holograms requires massive computational resources, SBP remains highly expensive. Optimizing SBP utilization efficiency, specifically by integrating real-time eye-tracking with advanced multiplexing techniques [2], offers a viable pathway to practical digital holography. Developing and evaluating this integration forms the primary objective of this thesis.

This thesis bridges theoretical optical principles with applied systems engineering. Foundationally, you will study the core mechanics of digital holography. Multiplexing expands the effective viewing angle and viewing volume (eyebox) by rapidly adjusting display parameters, leveraging the human eye's persistence of vision.

While current systems rely on static multiplexing, this project aims to implement dynamic multiplexing. By using real-time gaze feedback, the system dynamically allocates computational resources to the user's direct line of sight, thereby maximizing the display's effective SBP. The primary deliverable for this project is a functional proof-of-concept holographic display capable of actively steering light directly to the viewer's pupil in real-time, responsive to continuous eye-tracking data.

From an engineering perspective, we will use a state-of-the-art eye tracker (e.g., a Tobii with 6 Degrees of Freedom) for precise head and gaze tracking. The technical work involves significant software development: interfacing hardware, processing tracking data with minimal latency, and dynamically adjusting the software rendering pipeline to drive the hardware. You will be supported by a team of senior researchers in this highly novel area. Because the integration of active eye-tracking in holographic displays is largely unexplored, this project presents a strong opportunity for scientific publication.

[1] Blinder, D., Ahar, A., Bettens, S., Birnbaum, T., Symeonidou, A., Ottevaere, H., Schretter, C., & Schelkens, P. (2019). Signal processing challenges for digital holographic video display systems. Signal Process. Image Commun., 70, 114-130.

[2] Tomasz Kozacki, Grzegorz Finke, Piotr Garbat, Weronika Zaperty, and Malgorzata Kujawinska, "Wide angle holographic display system with spatiotemporal multiplexing," Opt. Express 20, 27473-27481 (2012)

Good programming skills (MATLAB or Python, C/C++)
Enthusiasm for hands-on engineering of next-generation display technologies
Interest in experimental physical research and evaluation (visual and optical testing)