What Binarization Method Is the Best for Amplitude Inline Fresnel Holograms Synthesized for Divergent Beams Using the Direct Search with Random Trajectory Technique?

J Imaging. 2023 Jan 27;9(2):28. doi: 10.3390/jimaging9020028.

Abstract

Fast reconstruction of holographic and diffractive optical elements (DOE) can be implemented by binary digital micromirror devices (DMD). Since micromirrors of the DMD have two positions, the synthesized DOEs must be binary. This work studies the possibility of improving the method of synthesis of amplitude binary inline Fresnel holograms in divergent beams. The method consists of the modified Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm, Otsu binarization and direct search with random trajectory technique. To achieve a better quality of reconstruction, various binarization methods were compared. We performed numerical and optical experiments using the DMD. Holograms of halftone image with size up to 1024 × 1024 pixels were synthesized. It was determined that local and several global threshold methods provide the best quality. Compared to the Otsu binarization used in the original method of the synthesis, the reconstruction quality (MSE and SSIM values) is improved by 46% and the diffraction efficiency is increased by 27%.

Keywords: Gerchberg–Saxton algorithm; binarization; computer-generated hologram; diffractive optical element; digital micromirror device; direct search; error diffusion; holography; optical reconstruction; thresholding.