Holographic Television and Optical Transistors

Radical Rad writes "This is based off an article from the American Chemical Society Journal and says that 3D TV may be less than a decade away due to an advance made at UCLA which allows portions of crystals to be brightened, darkened, and change colors in nanoseconds using electic and magnetic fields. Light passing through the crystals might then be used to project moving holographic images. The same crystalline material could also be used in optical computers and probably many other applications."

Comments

Re:How, exactly, would this work?

[SagSaw]

"On to what would the image be projected? Would there not have to be some kind of screen or bubble on which the image resides?"

The type of hologram which would be used here relies on a wide beam of coherant (laser) light passing through a transparent plate which has been altered somehow to create the holographic image. Currently, this plate can be (at least) a photographically exposed glass plate or a special thermoplastic plate. When the laser light passes through the plate, wave interfearance creates an image which changes based on the viewing angle.

It sounds like scientists have found a way to replace the glass plate with an electronically controlled media. Since the image can be changed electronically, there is the potential to create a moving 3-D image.

Since you still have to look through the plate, the image would not just float in mid-air.

I am just remembering the basics from my optics class. Someone with a lot more knowledge please correct my errors!