Market study on the enabling technology of computer generated holograms

Modern optics depends on the precision and the quality of non-spherical optical elements such as aspherical lenses and free form shapes. Computer generated holograms are used in interferometric testing to enable the high-quality production of these optical elements. Today the production of computer generated holograms is mastered by a few manufacturers only, which are distributed around the globe. To provide users of such high-end interferometry with an overview on the corresponding market as well as with a list of potential suppliers, this study was raised at Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences. A table of commercial and institutional suppliers has been created, where the manufacturers are shortly described by their key abilities. Furthermore this paper classifies the suppliers through different properties of computer generated holograms, such as sizes and qualities of the used substrates. Finally an outlook on the future of this market is given to underline the importance of the enabling technology of computer generated holograms for the optical industry.