The update could boost VR and other applications by enabling even more realistic representations of the world around us.

"A 3D hologram can present real 3D scenes with continuous and fine features," says Lei Gong, who led a research team from the University of Science and Technology of China, in a media release. "For virtual reality, our method could be used with headset-based holographic displays to greatly improve the viewing angles, which would enhance the 3D viewing experience. It could also provide better 3D visuals without requiring a headset."

Producing realistic-looking holograms requires projecting images with a high pixel resolution onto a large number of successive layers that scientists spaced closely together. Doing this achieves high-depth resolution, which is vital in making the hologram look three-dimensional.

Creating a hologram typically involves using a spatial light modulator (SLM) to modulate the intensity or phase of a light beam. Overhead projectors use spatial light modulators to project content from a computer to a surface. However, today's holograms are limited in terms of quality because current SLM technology allows only a few low-resolution images to be projected onto separate levels with low-depth resolution.