An update for the HOLOEYE SLM Pattern Generator software is availalbe now. Besides some minor bug fixes the following changes were made in version 5.1:

• Added support for Direct3D 11.
• The graphics card used for rendering data can now be changed during the device selection, if desired.
• Added support for wavefront compensation.
• Extended system information to make it easier to identify problems / provide support
• Updated contact form used from the about dialogue.

Direct3D support

We changed from OpenGL to Direct3D which reduces possible issues with graphics card drivers. Especially if SLM devices are used e.g. with laptops with internal itel graphics cards and an additional graphics card it is now possible to select the graphics card which should be used for the rendering process.

Wavefront Compensation

Due to the fabrication process, the backplane of Liquid Crystal on Silicon displays is not perfectly flat. This can introduce aberrations to a light beam and influence efficiency and wave front quality. Due to the nature of a 2D phase only SLMs, the device is able to compensate its own flatness imperfection by addressing a compensation function.

We therefore characterize the wavefront error of each individual LCOS display with high accuracy and generate a corresponding compensation function. Wavefront compensation files (*.h5 file) are avaiable for LCOS SLM devices shipped after March 2021, containing an optical path difference field of the deformation.

This wavefront compensation file can be loaded as background compensation using the Pattern Generator software 5.1.