MANUFACTURING METHOD, APPARATUS AND HOLOGRAM PLATE

1 .- 11 . (canceled)

12 . A method for manufacturing a holographic plate, the method comprising:

providing recording geometry optics;

providing a photopolymer; and

illuminating the photopolymer simultaneously with a first laser beam and a second laser beam thereby generating a holographic pattern in a pattern area of the photopolymer,

wherein the illuminated photopolymer results in the holographic plate,

wherein only the first laser beam runs through the recording geometry optics,

wherein a light-entrance face of the recording geometry optics for the first laser beam faces away from the photopolymer and a light-exit face of the recording geometry optics faces the photopolymer,

wherein the recording geometry optics comprise a lens array, which divides the first laser beam into a plurality of sub-beams,

wherein each one of the sub-beams illuminates most of the pattern area,

wherein each one of the sub-beams has a focal point between the pattern area and the light-entrance face,

wherein a secondary optical element is a converging lens and is located in a plane of the focal points of the sub-beams, and

wherein the lens array is composed of a plurality of spherical lenses.

13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein each one of the sub-beams illuminates all of the pattern area.

14 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the light-entrance face is convex.

15 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the light-entrance face is planar.

16 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the lens array is located at the light-exit face.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein an optical axis of the recording geometry optics is oriented perpendicular to the photopolymer.

18 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the focal points of the sub-beams are located between the light-exit face and the photopolymer.

19 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the recording geometry optics is composed of a plurality of individual optical elements.

20 . The method according to claim 19 ,

wherein the recording geometry optics is composed of a primary optical element and of the secondary optical element,

wherein the primary optical element comprises the light-entrance face and the lens array, and

wherein the secondary optical element is located between the primary optical element and the photopolymer.

21 . The method according to claim 12 ,

wherein a diameter of the pattern area is between 1 cm and 6 cm, inclusive,

wherein a structural size of the holographic pattern is between 0.2 μm and 0.7 μm, inclusive, and

wherein each of the first laser beam and the second laser beam has a wavelength of maximum intensity between 350 nm and 870 nm, inclusive.

22 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein the finished holographic plate is a volume phase hologram (VPH) plate.

23 . An apparatus for performing the method according to claim 12 , the apparatus comprising: the recording geometry optics;

a first laser configured to generate the first laser beam;

a second laser configured to generate the second laser beam; and

a support arrangement for handling the photopolymer and the holographic plate.

24 . A fan-out hologram plate comprising:

a holographic plate, which is a volume phase hologram (VPH) plate and which includes a holographic pattern in a pattern area;

a polarization-dependent reflector on which the holographic plate is arranged; and

a retarder which comprises, or which is configured to act as, a quarter-wave plate, the polarization-dependent reflector is located between the holographic plate and the retarder,

wherein the fan-out hologram plate is configured for augmented reality and/or for virtual reality glasses,

wherein the holographic pattern comprises a multiplexed fan-out hologram,

wherein a diameter of the pattern area is between 1 cm and 6 cm, inclusive, seen in top view of the holographic plate,

wherein a structural size of the holographic pattern is between 0.2 μm and 0.7 μm, inclusive, and

wherein the holographic pattern is configured for a plurality of sub-pupils, each sub-pupil is configured for a full field of view (FoV) or for a nearly full FoV.

25 . A method for manufacturing a holographic plate the method comprising:

providing recording geometry optics;

providing a photopolymer; and

illuminating the photopolymer simultaneously with a first laser beam and a second laser beam thereby generating a holographic pattern in a pattern area of the photopolymer,

wherein the illuminated photopolymer results in the holographic plate,

wherein only the first laser beam runs through the recording geometry optics,

wherein a light-entrance face of the recording geometry optics for the first laser beam faces away from the photopolymer and a light-exit face of the recording geometry optics directly faces the photopolymer,

wherein the recording geometry optics comprise a lens array, which divides the first laser beam into a plurality of sub-beams,

wherein each one of the sub-beams illuminates at least 90% the pattern area,

wherein each one of the sub-beams has a focal point between the pattern area and the light-entrance face,

wherein a secondary optical element is a converging lens and is located in a plane of the focal points of the sub-beams, and

wherein the lens array is composed of a plurality of spherical lenses.