Light People: Professor Liangcai Cao

Holography utilizes the principles of wave interference and diffraction to record and reconstruct images, which can highly restore the three-dimensional features of objects and provide an immersive visual experience. Dennis Gabor proposed the concept of holography in 1947 and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1971. Holography has gradually developed into two major research directions: digital holography (DH) and computer-generated holography (CGH). Holography has empowered the development of fields such as 6G communication, intelligent healthcare, and commercial MR headsets. In recent years, the general solution to optical inverse problems contained in holography also provides theoretical support for its wide integration with computational lithography, optical metamaterials, optical neural networks, orbital angular momentum (OAM), and other areas. This demonstrates its enormous potential for research and application. We are delighted to invite Professor Liangcai Cao from Tsinghua University, a leading scientist in the field of holography, to give us a profound interpretation of the opportunities and challenges of holography. In the interview, Prof. Cao will take us on a journey through the history of holography, share fascinating stories from his academic visits and exchanges, and shed light on the mentor and tutor culture in teaching. Through this episode of “Light People,” we will have the privilege of getting to know Prof. Cao on a deeper level.