Depth of a scene reproducible by focused-image holograms

An analysis is made of the limitations of the depth of a scene which is reconstructed satisfactorily by focused-image holograms. The limitations are due to the dispersion of nonmonochromatic radiation and the finite size of the reference source. The depth of a scene reproduced by white light without visible blurring can be increased by viewing the image at angles corresponding to the extreme edges of the visible spectrum. A review is made of the factors limiting the depth of an image reconstructed with a hologram recorded using an extended reference source. The dependence of the depth of a satisfactorily reconstructed scene on the angular dimensions of the reference source is established. Attention is drawn to the special features observed in a reconstructed scene when a focused-image hologram is rotated.