two and three dimensional interference patterns

The way in which two-dimensional sources project 3D pictures might be better understood by thinking about how one-dimensional patterns can create 2D pictures. Consider the pattern created by intersecting waves on the surface of a pool of water when one drops two stones onto the surface of the water. Each stone basically engages with the top of the water at a point location -- a linear wave source. However, the waves radiate out on the top of the water two dimensionally and their intersection creates a two- dimensional pattern on the surface. Now consider how a hologram is formed. When lit with a reference beam, a slice of holographic photosensitive media basically engages with space in a plane -- a two-dimensional wave source. However, the waves radiate out into space three dimensionally and their intersection creates a three- dimensional hologram in space. New Optical Element Could Accelerate Development of Holographic also has holotechnology information that may be of interest.

Holographic data storage offers the potential advantage of tremendous jumps in information retrieval speed because it reads information in parallel -- a million bits at once. Since holographic data storage and reading makes it possible for parallel search capacity, it can be also be helpful for fuzzy search and associative retrieval. Such associative extraction can not be done with traditional, ordered data recording and playback methods. In some ways, this is how one's brain works with its neural networks. Fuzzy search makes it possible for global comparison and investigation of configurations and can identify high-level associations that bit-by-bit comparison can overlook. It also is more compatible with data loss. If one's brain did not operate in this manner, then the death of even a couple neurons would trigger an entire memory to degrade. With associative retrieval, general configurations can be recovered even if some of the separate pieces of information are lost. The similarities between holographic information processing and neural networks are very exciting. Link to Virtual Reality provides different developments.

For more developments, you can also check out Holographic Projectors .