The Digital interference holography (DIH) is a novel multiwavelength optical sensing technique that builds holographycally the three dimensional structure of the fingerprints. The wavelength range is swept automatically and for specific wavelengths the hologram is digitally recorded followed by numerical reconstruction of the optical field. The axial resolution is a parameter that depends on the wavelength scanning range and is obtained by superposing all optical fields. This paper proposes to show how the DIH technique could be used in the field of forensic science as a powerful fingerprints scanner to identify and quantify Level 1 (pattern), Level 2 (minutia points), and Level 3 (pores and ridge contours) fingerprint characteristics from the amplitude images.

Fig. 6. The reconstructed volume of the plastic print on clay (finger coated with enamel before pressing into the clay) sample: (a) x–y cross-section, 10 × 10 mm2; (b) y–z cross sections at various x values, 425 × 10383 μm2, from left to right, x1, x2 and x3; (c) x–z cross sections at various y values, 10383 × 425 μm2, from top to bottom, y1, y2 and y3; Δλ : 0.563-0.603 µm; Z= 8911 µm; Λ= 425 µm; δx= δy =40.56 mm, δz = 8.497 mm, Nx = Ny =256 pixels, Nz = 50 pixels.