Abstract: An infrared lens and detector system and associated method are disclosed that utilize infrared lenses to form an internal entrance pupil at which an internal aperture stop is placed to control the intensity of infrared radiation focused on the infrared detector. In more detailed respects, the infrared lens is an assembly including a first infrared lens, a second infrared lens spaced from the first lens to form a pupil between the first and second lenses, and an aperture stop disposed proximal the pupil. The aperture stop may have a fixed diameter or may have an aperture stop that is manually or automatically adjustable depending upon the intensity of the infrared radiation being viewed. Significantly, this lens assembly may be sealed for improved performance particularly in extreme conditions. In more detailed respects, the lens assembly forms a wide-angle lens and includes a diffractive surface on the second lens to reduce color aberrations and improve performance.

Abstract: An optical pickup device in which a light beam radiated from a semiconductor laser element is converted by a collimator lens into collimated light beam which is converged by an objective lens so as to be illuminated on an optical disc. A beam shaping element having a hologram pattern on its incident surface and/or its radiating surface is provided on a divergent optical path of the radiated light beam from the semiconductor laser element between the semiconductor laser element and the collimator lens for shaping the light beam radiated from the semiconductor laser element for forming a beam spot of an optimum shape on the optical disc.

Abstract: A positive unit magnification reflective head is used to back-reflect a primary light beam, for storing reflection microholograms at the coincident foci of the primary and reflected beams. Imaging the primary beam focus onto itself at positive unit magnification allows increasing system tolerance to tilts and transverse misalignments between the primary and reflective heads. Holograms are stored at multiple depths in a holographic storage medium. Tunable-focus primary and reflective heads are positioned on opposite sides of the storage medium. The reflective head images each storage location onto itself at positive unit magnification. Suitable reflective heads include: two lenses in an f-2f-f configuration and a planar mirror; a lens and a corner cube; a thin lens and a thick lens with a coated reflective back surface; and a thin lens and a back-coated gradient-index (GRIN) lens.

Abstract: A device has a carrier and an optical element supported by the carrier. The optical element has a macro-optical characteristic and at least one surface. A light shaping surface microstructure is integral on the surface of the optical element. The microstructure homogenizes, shapes and controls directionality of light emanating from the surface of the optical element to produce a smooth, consistent and continuous pattern of light in a predetermined distribution shape and direction. The optical element can either transmit or reflect light incident on a portion of the device and the optical element.

Abstract: Disclosed is a scanning optical system, which is provided with a light source, a deflector, which deflects a beam emitted from said light source, and a scanning lens for converging the beam deflected by said deflector onto a surface to be scanned. The scanning lens has a positive power as a whole, and includes a plurality of refraction lens elements. Further, a diffraction lens structure is formed on at least one surface of one of the plurality of lens elements. Combination of the refraction lens elements and the diffraction lens structure compensates a lateral chromatic aberration caused by the refraction lens elements.

Abstract: An imaging system for ablating an array matrix of high-density vias in a flexible and rigid desired object. The apparatus contains a mirror based x, y scanning repeat positioning and/or a single axis scanner positioning system that directs a single point of a coherent light radiation beam at desired individual mask segments. These mask segments are formed into a planar mask array. A flat field collimating lens system is positioned between the mirror scanning system and the mask arrays to correct the angular beam output of the repeat positioning mirror and redirects the beam so that it strikes a specific rear surface segment(s) of in the mask array. The flat field collimating lens provides a beam that either illuminates the mask perpendicular to its surface or at preselected optimized illumination angles. Once illuminated, the specific segment of the mask array images and processes a single or a plurality of desired holes or features in a top surface of a flexible or rigid desired object to be processed.

Abstract: Device for elimination of the zero order beam emerging from holograms illuminated in polarized light includes a birefringent plate (5) illuminated by both said zero order beam (3) and by a diffracted beam (4) emerging from the hologram (2). The plate is arranged and sized such that one of the beams (3, 4) emerges from the plate with its plane of polarization not appreciably rotated and such that the other of said beams emerges with its plane of polarization rotated by 90°. The device further includes a polarizer (9) illuminated by the beams (3′, 4′) emergent from the birefringent plate (5), the polarizer having its plane of maximum transmittance parallel to the plane of polarization of the diffracted beam emerging from the birefringent plate as beam (4′). The device finds industrial applicability in the optical systems of video image projectors employing active matrix liquid crystal cells.

Abstract: An optical pickup device in which a light beam radiated from a semiconductor laser element is converted by a collimator lens into collimated light beam which is converged by an objective lens so as to be illuminated on an optical disc. A beam shaping element having a hologram pattern on its incident surface and/or its radiating surface is provided on a divergent optical path of the radiated light beam from the semiconductor laser element between the semiconductor laser element and the collimator lens for shaping the light beam radiated from the semiconductor laser element for forming a beam spot of an optimum shape on the optical disc.

Abstract: A system for the production of a second three-dimensional image magnified from a first three-dimensional image in substantially the same proportions, including a first active optical system for creating from the three-dimensional image, a first two-dimensional array. The array is comprised of two-dimensional elemental images. The first active optical system has a number of elements which is equal to the number of elemental images in the array. The configuration of the elements of the first active optical system corresponds to the configuration of the elemental images in the array. The first array is magnified equally in all directions to create a second two-dimensional array comprised also of two-dimensional elemental images. A second active optical system reconstructs a second three-dimensional image that is a magnification of the first three-dimensional image. The second active optical system has an F-number equal to the F-number of the first active optical system.

Abstract: This invention relates to marking the genuine CD in an easily detectable way while difficult to counterfeit. The improved CD has within its layers a second structured surface parallel to the flat surfaces of the CD. The second structured surface acts as a diffractive security device, that is to be read out from the same side of the CD, the verso side, as the data structure. In one example, the second structured surface is defined by a step of the refractive index or by a transparent reflective layer. Despite the diffractive rainbow colors observed on the verso side of the CD, the structure of the security device can be read out visually and/or with a CD-reader, even by a simple hand-held reader, and verified without the need of a bulky apparatus. A CD-reader prevents the playing of embodiments of the improved CDs.

Abstract: A holographic resonant system includes a plurality of volume phase holograms superimposed on a single layer of photosensitive film. The volume phase holograms are oriented with respect to one another such that a first volume phase hologram selects an incoming light beam incident upon a surface of the holographic resonant system having a wavelength &lgr;playback and an angle of incidence &thgr;in and internally diffracts the incoming light beam to a second volume phase hologram. The second volume phase hologram then accepts the resulting diffracted light beam from the first volume phase hologram and diffracts the light beam to form an image reflected from the surface of the holographic resonant system at wavelength &lgr;playback and an angle &thgr;out. The result is a holographic resonant system that only permits light beams from a predetermined direction to illuminate the system, thereby reducing the effect of ambient light upon the system and thus increasing the contrast ratio of the image.

Abstract: A planar optical correlator including at least first and second optical substrates (30, 32), through which light propagates by means of total internal reflection, at least first and second holographic lenses (20, 22) on the first optical substrate and optical third and fourth holographic lenses (24, 26) on the second optical substrate, each of the first and second and third and fourth holographic lenses performing a Fourier transformation on the input light to their respective optical substrates, the substrates positioned such that the second and third holographic lenses at least partially face each other. A filter (36) is positioned between the second and third holographic lenses.

Abstract: A planar optical crossbar switch comprising two thin planar substrates, on each of which are recorded or attached two holographic lenses between which light propagates by means of total internal reflection. The first lens is a negative cylindrical lens, used to input the incident light signal to the substrate, and the second lens is a positive cylindrical lens. The two substrates are disposed at right angles to each other in such a way that the positive lenses are positioned one on top of the other with a spatial light modulator sandwiched between them or beneath them. A linear array of detectors collects the output signal from the negative lens on the second substrate.

Abstract: A two-focal-point pickup device capable of suppressing the generation of glitch or bump in reproduced signal. The optical pickup device irradiates a light beam emitted from a light source onto an optical recording medium to form a light spot on a track of a recording surface of the optical recording medium to read the optical recording medium while controlling the position of the light spot relative to the track of the recording surface. The optical pickup device includes a converging lens section coaxially disposed in an optical axis of the light beam to converge the light beam onto the recording surface; and a hologram lens section coaxially disposed in the optical axis of the light beam to diffract the light beam.

Abstract: A two-focal-point pickup device capable of suppressing the generation of glitch or bump in reproduced signal. The optical pickup device irradiates a light beam emitted from a light source onto an optical recording medium to form a light spot on a track of a recording surface of the optical recording medium to read the optical recording medium while controlling the position of the light spot relative to the track of the recording surface. The optical pickup device includes a converging lens section coaxially disposed in an optical axis of the light beam to converge the light beam onto the recording surface; and a hologram lens section coaxially disposed in the optical axis of the light beam to diffract the light beam.

Abstract: A method of correcting vision defects associated with central field loss. The method is effected by passing light arriving at a retina of an eye through an image deflection ophthalmic optical element including a lens body, the lens body including a lens portion for focusing light entering the eye and a prismatic holographic element being in context with the lens portion, the prismatic holographic element being for deflecting the light entering the eye to off a center of the retina.

Abstract: The invention provides an ophthalmic lens, which uses a volume HOE to provide an optical power. The ophthalmic lens is produced by a highly flexible production process such that a variety of different ametropic conditions can be accommodated.

Abstract: The invention provides an active multifocal optical lens. The optical lens has a first optical element that provides a first optical power and a second optical element that provides a second optical power. The second optical element is a volume holographic optical element, which has been programmed to focus incoming light.

Abstract: A color filter which, in a reflection type color picture projector using a polarized light component as a projection light, improve the utilization factor of light and a color picture display device using the same color filter are provided. The color filter 3 using a transmission type hologram diffracts and spectroscopically separates P polarized light components related to respective primary colors and condenses them to pixel electrodes 13r, 13g, and 13b on the side of an LCD panel 1. A reflection light which is modulated by an optical modulator 16 on the side of the LCD panel 1 and becomes S polarized light component is incident on the color filter 3. The color filter 3 transmits the S polarized light component and uses it as the projection light.

Abstract: A substrate having an optical element on an input surface thereof receives a light beam not having a desired beam shape and shapes the light beam into a predetermined intensity distribution. The substrate may further include a second optical element for providing a predetermined phase pattern to the light beam provided by the first optical element. The first optical element may, for example, circularize an elliptical light beam using a soft aperture for differential power attenuation or by altering the divergence of the light beam along the different axes of the light beam. When the divergence angles are altered and the collimating optical element is provided on the output surface, the thickness of the transparent substrate is determined in accordance with a resultant difference in the divergence and/or with the initial difference in beam size along each axis and with a required circularity.

Abstract: An optical viewfinder system comprising two optical elements, and a field stop or a reticle, to provide an image of a scene to a viewer, and further comprising a diffractive optical element to provide a clear, stationary image of the field stop or reticle to the viewer.

Abstract: A diffusing function and a lens function are provided on a single surface. Such a structure may be formed from a computer generated hologram including free form regions having a phase shift associated therewith, i.e., the computer generated hologram being shifted within the free form regions by the phase shift relative to the computer generated hologram outside the free form regions. When the computer generated hologram includes zero and .pi. regions, the zero and .pi. regions may be transposed within the free form regions.

Abstract: An optical pickup device of the present invention includes a substrate having at least a major surface, a semiconductor laser provided on the surface of the substrate for emitting laser beam, a reflection-type diffraction grating oriented to the semiconductor laser for splitting the laser beam into at least three beams and reflecting them upward, a hologram for receiving the three beams reflected from the reflection-type diffraction grating, and an objective lens for converging onto an optical recording medium the three beams transmitted by the hologram. The three beams reflected from the optical recording medium are focused by the hologram and directed onto the photodetector from the above.

Abstract: This invention is a light fixture concept using geometrical optical elements and optical diffusors which produce a controlled light beam from a large lighting aperture. The object of this invention is to provide for both low surface luminance of the light fixture aperture and directional control of the light distribution. The geometrical optical elements are placed so as to result in a magnification of the light source, and diffusor elements are used to shape the light beam. A wide range of light sources can be used with this concept. The resulting light fixture will have reduced glare characteristics due both to the decreased luminance of the fixture aperture and to the restricted lighting angle distribution. These light fixtures should find application in a large number of lighting situations.

Abstract: A method of producing an optical element including a photopolymer layer between two holograms is disclosed. The holograms have the same diffraction spacing and refractive index, but the first hologram has an efficiency of about one-half that of the second hologram, preferably about fifty per cent and ninety-five per cent respectively. The photopolymer is polymerized to adjust the refractive index of the photopolymer until output beams will overlap and cancel each other.

Abstract: A two-focal-point pickup device capable of suppressing the generation of glitch or bump in reproduced signal. The optical pickup device irradiates a light beam emitted from a light source onto an optical recording medium to form a light spot on a track of a recording surface of the optical recording medium to read the optical recording medium while controlling the position of the light spot relative to the track of the recording surface. The optical pickup device includes a converging lens section coaxially disposed in an optical axis of the light beam to converge the light beam onto the recording surface; and a hologram lens section coaxially disposed in the optical axis of the light beam to diffract the light beam.

Abstract: An optical pickup apparatus compatible with at least two types of optical recording media, using light beams having respective different wavelengths for recording and reading information, the optical pickup apparatus including two laser light sources to emit light beams having the different wavelengths, respectively, a holographic lens, including a holographic ring, to transmittal of the light beams emitted from the laser light sources in an inner region of the holographic ring, and diffracting a specific light beam among the light beams emitted from the laser light sources in an outer region relative to the inner region, an objective lens to focus the light beams passed through the holographic ring lens on the respective information recording surfaces of the two types of the optical recording media, optical elements to alter optical paths of the light beams reflected from the information recording surfaces of the optical recording media; and two photodetectors to individually detect optical information from

Abstract: A high-resolution light-beam scanning apparatus utilizing only mass-producible holograms instead of utilizing auxiliary optical systems such as an optical lens or a mirror having curvature, and capable of compensating for disadvantages including scanning beam thickening and variation, failure of a rotatable hologram to rotate at a constant velocity, displacement of a scanning beam position in the scanning direction and the cross scanning direction due to a mode hop of a wavelength of a semiconductor laser, and deviation of a base of a rotatable hologram from a parallel state, which disadvantages are detrimental to efforts for increasing the resolution of a hologram scanner and lowering the cost thereof, the light-beam scanning apparatus being characterized in that provided in the rotatable hologram (1) and the fixed plate (2) arediffraction gratings for minimizing:either a sum total of values obtained by weighting:a square of an optical path length difference between a) an optical path of a light flux measure

Abstract: Coma of an objective lens occurs depending on the lens-forming condition when plural disks of different substrate thickness are recorded and reproduced. An objective lens according to this invention is not influenced by the coma even if the thickness of the substrates is changed. For this purpose, a diffraction grating whose aberration is corrected is formed on the first side of an aspheric objective lens. Due to this correction, light beams having different diffraction orders, e.g. 0th order diffracted light and +1st order diffracted light, are focused respectively on two kinds of substrates of different thickness. The whole objective lens is tilted to correct its axial coma, and the tilt angle is predetermined to be substantially identical with respect to plural substrates which are different in thickness.

Abstract: The invention provides a diffraction grating lens suitable for use as an objective lens for an optical disk recording/reproducing apparatus. This lens includes a light transmissive substrate of which a refractive index is larger than 1, having one plane and the other plane, and a diffraction grating pattern having a lens effect and constituted by a plurality of diffraction gratings formed on one plane of the light transmissive substrate. The diffraction grating pattern is for focusing an incident light beam flux at a focal point provided on a side of the other plane of the light transmissive substrate and is formed so that a numerical aperture, calculated with the focal point as a peak point, becomes larger than 1.

Abstract: This patent teaches a low cost imager. The imager has an refractive objective lens 10 having a surface with a color correcting diffractive pattern 16 and an infrared transmitting polymeric field lens 18 having a substantially flat surface with a first field-correcting diffractive pattern. In this imager, the first field-correcting diffractive pattern operates to reduce aberrations of an image. In some embodiments, the imager further has a second field-correcting diffractive pattern on the field lens, where the first and second field-correcting diffractive pattern cooperating to reduce aberrations of the image. Additionally, this patent teaches a refractive/diffractive achromatic lens group 30. This achromat 30 can be used in the disclosed imager or in other optical devices. The achromatic group 30 has a refractive lens 10 and a lens 28 having a substantially flat surface with a surface diffractive pattern 16, the surface diffractive pattern cooperating with the refractive lens to reduce chromatic aberrations.

Abstract: A holographic optical device having a light transmissive substrate with a first holographic optical element carried by the substrate, and a second holographic optical element also carried by the substrate but laterally offset from the first holographic optical element. The first holographic optical element diffracts waves from each data point in a display source into a collimated plane wave such that the plane wave is trapped inside the substrate by internal reflection, and the first holographic optical element also corrects field aberrations over the entire field of view by being recorded using at least one aspheric wavefront. The second holographic optical element diffracts the trapped plane waves out of the substrate.

Abstract: In the system of an optical head which conducts recording, reproducing and erasing, etc. on an optical disk by an optical means, the light from an optical disk is guided to photosensors through a diffraction element comprising of two kinds of diffraction gratings, viz. a first and a second diffraction gratings, each made of a partial area of respective zone plates, disposed approximately rectangular to each other; and then, the SSD method focusing error signal is provided from a diffracted light comming from one of the diffraction gratings, while the Far-Field method tracking error signal from the other diffracted light comming from the remaining diffraction grating; thereby a compact high-performance optical head is implemented at low cost.

Abstract: An optical pickup device which is efficient in light use having little spherical aberration. The optical pickup device of an optical pickup includes an objective lens, disposed opposite a disk, having a light passing region divided into central, intermediate and periphery regions corresponding to a near axis area, an intermediate axis area and a far axis area of incident light, where the curvature of the central and peripheral regions is optimized for a thin disk and that of the intermediate region is optimized for a thick disk; a light source irradiating light toward a disk through the objective lens; a photo detector for detecting light reflected from the disk; and a beam splitter, disposed between the objective lens and the light source, for transmitting light from the light source toward the objective lens and for diffracting light reflected from the disks toward the photo detector.

Abstract: A laser beam optical focusing system consists of two symmetrical diffractive optical elements. The optical system has a spot size of less than one micron and a Strehl ratio of over 0.9 with a f/number of one and a total object/image field of either 0.5 or 1 micron.

Abstract: An optical scanning system includes a laser source, a deflector deflecting a laser beam emitted from the laser source, and at least two hologram elements located between the deflector and an image forming member.

Abstract: A miniaturized fingerprint sensor has a holographic phase grating glued to a base surface of a trapezoidal prism which operates on light totally internally reflecting from a finger-coverslip interface protecting the exterior surface of the grating, diffracting the reflected light to propagate back through the base surface and out the top parallel surface of the prism in a converging beam having an optical axis normally oriented (.perp.) with respect to such parallel base and top surfaces of the prism. A mirror folds the emerging converging light beam directing it into a camera system. The converging light beam emerging from the top surface of the trapezoidal prism contains high contrast, detailed images of ridges, valleys and pores of a finger-surface interface oriented in a plane normal to the optical axis.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an analyzer for determining the concentration of substances, such as chemicals, present in a fluid medium, such as gas, vapor or liquid, using holographic optics. The analyzer of the present invention is based on the infra red absorbance of the gas, vapor or liquid to be measured, where the optical functions of an infra red absorbance gas analyzer are performed by holographic functional representations of the required optical components.

Abstract: A lens array sheet according to the present invention, comprising a transparent substrate, a lens array having lens elements that are one-dimensionally or two-dimensionally formed on the front surface of the transparent substrate, and a cluster having a large number of cluster members randomly formed in a prism shape on the rear surface of the transparent substrate, each of the length, the width, and the height of each of the cluster members being in the range from the wave length of source light to 500 .mu.m. Thus, a lens array sheet that effectively uses light energy of the light source, maintains the light condensing effect, prevents the luminance from deteriorating, homogeneously distributes the luminance on the light emitting surface, prevents equal-thickness interference fringes and wasteful light dispersion to out of the angular range of visual angle can be provided. In addition, a surface light source having the lens array sheet is provided.

Abstract: This device comprises an optical source emitting a single-wavelength light beam. An index grating has been recorded in a holographic device by the interference of two plane light beams, both being beams at a single wavelength with one and the same determined value and being concurrent in the holographic device. The holographic device is illuminated by the light beam and delivers a single-wavelength beam whose radiation pattern has a limited angular passband. The wavelength of the reading beam may be different from that of the recording beams. Its orientation is then different from that of the beams.

Abstract: A compound objective lens is composed of a hologram lens or transmitting a part of incident light without any diffraction to form a beam of transmitted light and diffracting a remaining part of the incident light to form a beam of first-order diffracted light, and an objective lens for converging the transmitted light to form a first converging spot on a front surface of a thin type of first information medium and converging the diffracted light to form a second converging spot on a front surface of a thick type of second information medium. Because the hologram selectively functions as a concave lens for the diffracted light, a curvature of the transmitted light differs from that of the diffracted light.

Abstract: The invention relates to an illumination device for illuminating a display device. In a preferred embodiment, non-polarized light from a non-polarized light source is polarized by a holographic polarization beam splitting device and focused onto a liquid crystal display device by a holographic focusing device. The invention is operable with monochrome and color display devices, and allows for a high light yield independent of the useful surface area of each detector element of the display device.

Abstract: An achromatic optical system that preferably includes a light source for emitting light therefrom, an achromatic optical element positioned to receive light emitted from the light source, and an optical detector positioned to receive and detect light passing through the optical element. The achromatic optical element preferably includes a substrate having opposing sides, a first computer generated hologram positioned on one side of the substrate and adapted to receive light emitted from the light source, and a second computer generated hologram positionally aligned on the opposite side of the substrate and adapted to receive light passing through the substrate from the first hologram at a predetermined location thereon.

Abstract: A product, method, and apparatus are provided for making a stereoscopic hologram from a series of two-dimensional views of an object. The two-dimensional views are obtained from, for example, computer analysis of scans taken by standard medical diagnostic equipment. The views are reproduced on an LCD screen, and the screen then serves as the modulator of the holographic object beam. An exposure of each view is sequentially made on a different section of a holographic recording medium, which may be, for example, a photopolymer placed on a substrate. As the observer views the finished product, each eye looks at a different section of the hologram, thus providing a stereoscopic effect.

Abstract: A low weight, achromatic, athermal, long wave infrared objective lens with one element having a positive optical power and the other element having a negative optical power but with a higher thermo-optic coefficient than the thermo-optic coefficient of the first element. A diffractive color correcting optical surface is generated on one surface of one of the elements and aspheric surfaces may be included for further performance gains.

Abstract: A dual-focus forming method for both a 0.6 mm disk and a 1.2 mm disk, which prevents the increase of wave-front aberration caused by a refractive lens, utilizes a hologram lens having hologram devices respectively formed on the receive and emitting-planes of a transparent plate. The receiving-plane hologram device diffracts incident light from a light source into a zero-order light beam and a 1st-order diffracted light beam, and the emitting-plane hologram device diffracts the zero-order transmitted light beam and 1st-order diffracted light beam into two 1st-order diffracted light beams for being focused onto one or the other disk. The hologram lens exhibits good optical performance due to its low wave-front aberration and is easy to manufacture at low cost.

Abstract: A hologram display apparatus in which chromatic aberration hardly occurs even when light of a wide bandwidth is used as a reproducing light. The apparatus has a hologram combiner 10 with a diffraction characteristic of lens, and is adapted to receive a signal light including information to be displayed and to generate, in response to the signal light, a reproduced light to be seen and acknowledged by an observer. The hologram combiner 10 has a curved surface with a constant curvature in at least one of a first direction and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The center 01 of curvature of the curved surface is positioned at substantially the same position of the center 02 of curvature of the lens equivalent to the hologram 11.

Abstract: High intensity laser light is evenly injected into an optical fiber by the combination of a converging lens and a multisegment kinoform (binary optical element). The segments preferably have multi-order gratings on each which are aligned parallel to a radial line emanating from the center of the kinoform and pass through the center of the element. The grating in each segment causes circumferential (lateral) dispersion of the light, thereby avoiding detrimental concentration of light energy within the optical fiber.

Abstract: An optical modulator/optical switch is disclosed. The modulator/switch includes a reflective zone plate defined in a movable zone plate support. The reflective zone plate focuses an optical signal reflected therefrom. In response to a control signal, a controlled voltage source applies a voltage across the movable zone plate support and a layer spaced from the zone plate support. The applied voltage generates an electrostatic force that causes the zone plate support to move towards the other layer. When the zone plate support moves, the reflective zone plate's orientation to an optical signal incident thereon changes. Such a change in orientation alters the path of the optical signal reflected from the reflective zone plate. The reflected optical signal can be directed to different receiving waveguides by changing the amplitude of the applied voltage.

Abstract: A holographic optical device includes a light-transmissive substrate, a first holographic optical element, and a second holographic optical element that is laterally disposed on the substrate from the first holographic optical element. At least one of the holographic optical elements is a complex diffraction grating that can handle a multiplicity of plane and/or spherical waves arriving from a range of angles, and having a range of wavelengths. Applications for the device include a wavelength division multiplexer/demultiplexer, an image reconstructor, a beam expander/compressor, and a visor/head-up display.