Additive manufacturing for the development of optical/photonic systems and components

Abstract

The ambition of this review is to provide an up-to-date synopsis of the state of 3D printing technology for optical and photonic components, to gauge technological advances, and to discuss future opportunities. While a range of approaches have been developed and some have been commercialized, no single approach can yet simultaneously achieve small detail and low roughness at large print volumes and speed using multiple materials. Instead, each approach occupies a niche where the components/structures that can be created fit within a relatively narrow range of geometries with limited material choices. For instance, the common Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) approach is capable of large print volumes at relatively high speeds but lacks the resolution needed for small detail ( &gt; 100 µ m ) with low roughness ( &gt; 9 µ m ). At the other end of the spectrum, two-photon polymerization can achieve roughness ( &lt;<!-- 15 n m ) and detail ( &lt;<!-- 140 n m ) comparable to commercial molded and polished optics. However, the practical achievable print volume and speed are orders of magnitude smaller and slower than the FDM approach. Herein, we discuss the current state-of-the-art 3D printing approaches, noting the capability of each approach and prognosticate on future innovations that could close the gaps in performance.

Two‐Photon Polymerization Lithography for Optics and Photonics: Fundamentals, Materials, Technologies, and Applications

“…[34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42] However, the materials illuminated within the optical beam path will experience some degree of polymerization when using the one-photon absorption (OPA) process, leading to reduced resolution, making fabrication of arbitrary 3D structures impossible. [43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51] Conversely, bearing on the imaginary part of the third-order nonlinear susceptibility, the nonlinear process of two-photon absorption (TPA) is significantly different from OPA as the absorption cross section (ACS) is typically several orders of magnitude smaller than that of OPA. Practically, polymerization only occurs within a volumetric region where the intensity of light exceeds a threshold, achievable with pulsed (femtosecond) lasers.…”

Complex Fourier Surfaces by Superposition of Multiple Gratings on Azobenzene Thin Films

“…Alternatively, one can use constructive methods such as 3D printing, [ 13 ] inkjet printing, and two‐photon lithography. [ 14 ] However, these methods have limitations in terms of accuracy, speed, and structural freedom.…”

Multi-material additive manufacturing based on µ-dispenser technology for tailored polymer micro-optics

“…Many 3D printing techniques are either based on vat polymerization permitting typically only mono-material components or do not feature the required print resolution which necessitates cost-and time-intensive post-processing steps. 5,6 A promising technique to solve these issues is direct ink writing (DIW) with micro-needles, a process called µ-dispensing. A viscoelastic precursor material is extruded e.g.…”