3D holography using communication mode optics

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a holographic technique based on interfering the optimum orthogonal communication modes connecting a source plane and a receiver volume. Computing the singular value decomposition of a coupling operator, which connects each point at the source plane to another one in the receiver volume, allows us to obtain a complete set of orthogonal eigenfunctions which represent the building blocks of our hologram. By adding these eigenfunctions, weighted by different complex coefficients akin to a Fourier series, we construct arbitrarily chosen 2D and 3D images within the output receiver volume with continuous depth, high fidelity and contrast. We envision our work to inspire new directions in digital holography, AR/VR, and wearable devices.