Abstract

A theoretical model of color reproduction by holograms has been shown to agree with experimental results.¹ The theory models the holographic process: recording at three laser wavelengths and replay in white light by three wavelength-selective display holograms. The hologram replays the three components with a finite bandwidth and a certain level of background-scatter noise. Considering the set of eight Munsell-chip surfaces we can predict corresponding color points on a CIE diagram when it is reproduced by a holographic image. We compare these points with points corresponding to the same eight surfaces illuminated by a standard reference source and matched to white (the same white used to illuminate the hologram). Using typical levels for replay bandwidth and noise² (determined experimentally from holograms), we can vary the three wavelengths and compare the resultant image colors with the reference colors. The wavelength combination 444, 526, and 609 nm gave the least average squared shift in the positions of the eight colors when they were plotted on the 1976 CIE USC diagram (0.00018 CIE diagram units). The wavelength combination of 442, 531, and 623 nm gave the largest gamut area (57.7% of the area of the octagon formed by the eight reference points).

© 1990 Optical Society of America