3. General conclusion and outlook

The development of optoelectronic computation and computer holography began at the same time in the 1960s, with computed holograms originally being used as components for optical processors. Today, the two fields have diverged, but both offer exciting prospects thanks to 50 years of active research worldwide.

The potential of optoelectronic computing remains intact, thanks to the unrivalled Fourier transform properties of a lens. Its results, which have spread to many fields, are benefiting industrial applications. What's more, they are at the origin of many new fields of research with highly promising prospects, such as nanophotonics, biophotonics, new imaging techniques...

Calculated holograms gave rise to the current field of digital diffractive optics, and today diffractive optical components can be found in almost every field, for both...