Holophotography with a diffraction grating

Abstract

Color encoding of depth is shown to occur naturally in images of objects observed through diffraction gratings under common white light illumination. A synthetic image is then obtained from a single point of view, a phenomenon that can be applied to stereophotography. The image can be recorded in a common color photograph, providing a simple method of visual decoding by means of ordinary colored 3D spectacles. The fundamental equation and the photographic procedure for maximum fidelity in three-dimensional reproduction are described. The result is a photograph that has the capability of registering all the views of an object in a continuous sequence, which is called holophotography and was previously obtained by means of a hologram. By eliminating the need for a laser and holographic film, a new technique for holography in white light is foreseen.