Single-shot phase-shifting incoherent digital holography with multiplexed checkerboard phase gratings is proposed for acquiring holograms of moving objects. The gratings presented here play the following three roles: dividing the beams, modulating the curvature of spherical beams, and introducing different phase shifts. With the gratings of our proposed method, four individual holograms of a spatially incoherent light are formed on an image sensor. Therefore, it is possible to simultaneously capture four holograms and implement a phase-shifting technique. A proof-of-principle experiment was conducted to show the feasibility of the proposed method.

Fresnel incoherent correlation holography (FINCH) was a milestone in incoherent holography. In this roadmap, two pathways, namely the development of FINCH and applications of FINCH explored by many prominent research groups, are discussed. The current state-of-the-art FINCH technology, challenges, and future perspectives of FINCH technology as recognized by a diverse group of researchers contributing to different facets of research in FINCH have been presented.

This roadmap article focuses on spatially incoherent digital holography (IDH). Representative IDH methods such as optical scanning holography (OSH), Fresnel incoherent correlation holography (FINCH), coded aperture correlation holography (COACH), IDH with a Fresnel zone aperture, and IDH with an interferometer along with a state-of-the-art optical device are introduced as modern IDH methods. We describe these IDH techniques with applications of three-dimensional (3D) imagers, 3D thermography, and 3D microscopy.

A holographic data storage system using digital holography is proposed to record and retrieve multilevel complex amplitude data pages. Digital holographic techniques are capable of modulating and detecting complex amplitude distribution using current electronic devices. These techniques allow the development of a simple, compact, and stable holographic storage system that mainly consists of a single phase-only spatial light modulator and an image sensor. As a proof-of-principle experiment, complex amplitude data pages with binary amplitude and four-level phase are recorded and retrieved. Experimental results show the feasibility of the proposed holographic data storage system.

A high-resolution and multilevel designed reference pattern (DRP) is presented for improvement of both light utilization efficiency and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of reconstructed images in coaxial holographic data storage. With a DRP, the desired Fourier power spectrum of a reference beam is obtained. Numerical and experimental results show that the DRP increases the SNR compared with that of a random phase mask (RPM). Moreover, the light utilization efficiency of the DRP is higher than that of a high-resolution RPM. In addition, the effect of the phase level and the pixel pitch of DRPs on the SNR and the light utilization efficiency are investigated.