What does HOE mean in UNCLASSIFIED

A Holographic Optical Element (HOE) is an optical element that uses holography to modify the phase and/or amplitude of light waves. It can be used to produce multiple beams, beam steering, optical processing, signal processing, image analysis and much more.

Typically HOE is made using polymer films like PMMA or other photopolymers which are illuminated with lasers in order to create the desired pattern.

The main advantage of using HOEs is their ability to manipulate light with high precision and without any moving parts. This allows for simpler designs which translates into smaller sizes, lower costs and higher reliability than conventional optical systems. The angular selectivity also makes them useful for imaging applications.

A HOE works by creating an interference pattern between two beams of light. These two beams overlap each other at certain points, creating a “hologram” of interference fringes on the surface of the film. When light passes through this pattern, it changes its properties; such as its direction, polarization or beam size according to the pattern on the film.

Yes there are some limitations depending on the application requirements; such as spectral bandwidth and energy efficiency for example. However they can still provide a great performance in many cases with minimal loss in performance due to their small size compared to conventional optics systems.