Swave Photonics has announced the development of what it claims is the first-ever 3D holographic display technology designed for use in compact extended reality (XR) devices, including smart glasses. Called Holographic eXtended Reality (HXR), it has a pixel pitch under 300 nanometers.
Based in Leuven, Belgium with facilities in Silicon Valley, Swave Photonics is positioning this technology as a solution to the vergence-accommodation conflict, a common discomfort in current XR systems caused by the discord between eye focus and depth perception in stereoscopic images. The HXR system uses Phase Change Material (PCM) and a standard CMOS semiconductor process to achieve high-definition holography, reportedly capable of up to 64 gigapixels.
Targeting the smart glasses market, the company aims to make these devices lighter, more affordable, and capable of running all day on a single battery charge. Swave Photonics has started offering development kits for the HXR technology to device manufacturers, with availability expected in the second half of 2024.
Swave Photonics was established in 2022 by Dr. Theo Marescaux and Dr. Dmitri Choutov. It has received $11 million in seed funding from entities including imec.xpand and Flanders Future Tech Fund, alongside $5 million in non-dilutive grants.
