How to Make a 3D Digital Hologram

3D digital holograms can be found on identification cards, credit cards, or any other type of card used to identify the cardholder and minimize forgery and identify theft.

3D digital holograms can be found on identification cards, credit cards, or any other type of card used to identify the cardholder and minimize forgery and identify theft. A hologram is a two-dimensional (2D) picture with the look of a three-dimensional object. Holography is the process of making a hologram. A digital hologram is a sub-area of holography and is used to make 3D objects from 2D images. Holograms reproduce the 3D image from the picture by a digital camera, which is needed in order to capture the image's intensity and directional information of its optical wavefront.

Things You'll Need

• Object to photograph
• Helium-neon laser
• (2) Diverging lenses
• Beam splitter
• (2) Mirrors
• Holographic plate
• Safety goggles

Instructions

1. 

   Point the laser at the beam splitter. This will drive the beam of light into two parts.

2. Set up the mirrors along the path of the splitter so that the laser will hit the target.

3. Place your diverging lens in front of the mirrors so that the two beams passing through them become wide swathes of light rather than regular beams. One of the lights (object beam) will reflect off the object and onto the holographic plate. The other light (reference beam) will hit the holographic plate only.

4. View and enjoy your image in 3D on the holographic film.

Tips & Warnings

• Make your room as dark as possible using only a green or blue-green safelight like the ones used in darkrooms.

• Use a very stable table so your work surface does not vibrate.

• Do not use heating or air conditioning systems which can blow the air around.

References

• B2B Marketplace Hologram Suppliers: Digital Hologram
• MSNBC: How to make holograms at home