Origin of Hologram

Modern holography dates from 1947, when Dennis Gabor, a scientist researching ways to improve the resolution of the electron microscope, develop what he called holography.
This was an amazing discovery given that Gabor did not have at his disposal modern laser light sources considered key to modern holography. Some twenty-three years later, 1960, the modern laser was invented and serious work in holography began. In 1971 Dr. Dennis Gabor was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work in holography.

It was two University of Michigan researchers who, in 1962, theorized that holography could be used as a three dimensional visual presentation. These individuals, Emmett Leith and Juris Upatnieks, happend upon Gabor's work and decided to apply his theory with newly invented laser hologram of 3D objects. These transmission hologram produced images with clarity and realistic depth.
Unfortunately, these transmission hologram required laser light to view the holographic image.

The work of Leith and upatnieks brought about today's modern holography equipment. The use of lasers, mirrors, splitters and lenses used in laboratories around the world for creating holographic images can be credited to their work. Leith and upatnieks also learned the importance of stability in the holographic lab. Unlike modern photographic film, which can be exposed for a fraction of a second, many holographic images take seconds or even minutes to expose to a photographics plate. During the exposure, even the slightest movement can destroy the exposure and require starting over again.

Like so many scientific advancements, other scientists were simultaneously developing holography. It was a Russian, Uri Denisyuk, who, in 1962, brought the work of Gabriel Lippmann (1908 Nobel Laureate) to holography and produced the first hologram that can be viewed in regular incandescent light.

Advancements in Laser technology also served to broaden the possibilities of holography. The pulsed - ruby laser, developed by Dr. T.H. Maimam of the Hughes Aircraft Corporation in 1960, was such advancement. The pulsed - ruby laser system emits a very powerful burst of light that lasts only a few billionths of a second. This allowed holographic plates to be exposed much more quickly. As a result one could now produce holograms of high-speed events, such as a bullet in flight, and of living subjects.

Perhaps the most important result of Stephen Benton's work was that it lead to the ability to mass produce holographic images using optical embossing techniques. Embossing allowed the images to be reproduced by a press that stamped the image into plastic surfaces. With costs very low as a result of the embossing techniques, the publishing, advertising, Govt. Organisations and banking industries are now using embossed holograms.