Rewritable holograms will give us 3D displays, high-capacity computer memory

U.S. researchers have discovered a material that can create rewritable holograms. A layer of the material can record a holographic image, erase it, and replace it with a new one in a few minutes. The current rate is slow, but the researchers seem confident that they can get the material to refresh at the speeds of video around 30 times per second. With some advances in this technology we could see 3D displays come to life.

This material can also store rewritable data through the depth of a hologram. This is a big step up from today’s holographic discs which are read only. The new approach could lead to much larger capacities of computer memory.

This is a small although important advance in the field. Though not perfected yet, the technology could lead to some great things in the future, and we’re excited for when that time comes.

For information about how this work, read the full article at NewScientist.
Photo: University of Arizona/Nasser Peyghambarian