Fiber optic 3D printing technology has achieved new breakthroughs

Recently, a joint research team of several organizations has developed an innovative method that can print very 3D on the top of a fiber with a diameter of only 125 microns (about the width of a human hair). Subtle but highly complex structure. It is reported that this new technology is not only considered to be one of the most accurate methods for printing complex 3D structures on optical fibers, but also much cheaper than traditional methods, resulting in a large number of biosensors, optical traps and telecommunications. The app opens the door.

Fresnel lens with high refractive index fabricated on fiber (electron microscope image)

The research is currently published in the journal Nanotechnology, including GiuseppeCalafiore, Alexander Koshelev, and others from aBeamTechnologies, the University of California at Berkeley, and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Traditionally, the fabrication of complex optical components at the tip of a fiber requires many expensive techniques, such as electron beam lithography or focused ion beam milling. The new method developed by the researchers this time is to use a UV nanoimprint lithography system to print 3D structures directly on microfibers, providing a time-and-order for fabricating 3D optical structures on a microscale. A more efficient way of cost. It is understood that the main function of this 3D optical structure is to manipulate the light in the fiber, such as changing its phase and wavefront properties. The ability to accurately manipulate light is critical to propelling things such as laser processing, Lab-on-a-Fiber, biomedical sensors, and the like.

In their paper, the researchers validated this new method by successfully imprinting a complex 3D beam splitter. This beam splitter splits the light in the fiber into four separate but equally intense beams. It is reported that to make this device, 255 different height levels of milling are required on a 5 micron x 5 micron structure.

(a) A color version of the ion dose profile, consisting of 255 different height levels, designed to imprint a 3D structure (b) a silicon mold used to fabricate the structure. (c) Oblique view of an optical fiber with an imprinted 3D structure. (d) A close-up image of the embossed 3D structure.

KeikoMunechika, a co-author of the study and a researcher from aBeamTechnologies, explained: "The development of this new technology offers many benefits for the reproducibility and flexibility of optical structural design. In addition, the technology can be directly The fiber's complex optical structure consisting of very high refractive index materials opens the door to a new range of fiber optic probes and devices, including optical tweezers and other types of fiber optic lenses that are difficult to handle."

As mentioned earlier, their UV nanoimprint lithography technology is probably the most accurate in lithography accuracy and will greatly expand the range of applications for fiber optics. For example, as Munechika said: “With this technology, the clumsy, expensive, and difficult-to-align fibers of traditional applications can be integrated into a single fiber. An example of this is the vortex that can be used to create an angular momentum beam. Phase mask. This device is typically used in STED microscopes and telecommunications technology, and is integrated into a single fiber to make it easier to use and at the same time reduce costs."

In addition, researchers are exploring other more complex applications of this new technology, including the creation of near-field optical probes, fiber optic lenses for optical capture, and various chemical sensors.

(Editor)