The principle was discovered by Dennis GABOR in 1947 (N0BEL Prize in 1971) but it was necessary to wait for the updating of laser technology to see his application at the beginning of the sixties at the same time in the U.S.A. and in Russia.

Of note, are the american physicians LEITH et UPATNIEKS who applied the laser technology to the GABOR's invention, the russian Yuri DENISYUK was inspired by the Gabriel LIPPMAN's work, the French physician who invented a color photography produced by Bragg diffraction. (N0BEL Prize in 1908).