Abstract
Microoptical components are coming of age in a wide range of applications: lab-on-a-chip, imaging, detection… There are a large number of fabrication technologies capable of producing high quality individual components and their arrays. However, most of them require high-end and costly equipment, complex and time-consuming fabrication, harmful chemicals, resulting in expensive final products. Here we present a technology capable of producing high quality microoptical components, using low-end direct laser writing on a biocompatible, environmentally friendly hydrogel, without any waste substances. The gel is locally and controllably melted while surface tension forces shape the optical component, following the laser beam profile. The process is so quick that a single microlens is fabricated in less than a second, and can be used instantly without any further processing. The technology is neither subtractive nor additive, and the base material is simply displaced producing a smooth surface. We have been able to fabricate individual microlenses and their arrays (positive, negative, aspheric), gratings and diffractive components. The technology is tested by generating unique, difficult to counterfeit QR-codes. Turnaround time is fast and makes the technology suitable both for rapid prototyping and serial production.
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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge funding provided by the Institute of Physics Belgrade, University of Belgrade, through the grant by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia.
Funding
This research was partially funded by the NATO Science for Peace and Security programme, project SPS G5618, Biological and bioinspired structures for multispectral surveillance.
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BM synthesized a photo-meltable material. DG, BZ and DP constructed a laser writing device used through this research. DP DG and MR wrote control software. BM DP and MR tested material properties. MZN. tested in vitro biocompatibility and microbial susceptibility toward synthesized gel material. DP Developed a thermal model of material bleaching. DP BM and MR jointly wrote the manuscript.
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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Photonics: Current Challenges and Emerging Applications.
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Radmilović, M.D., Murić, B.D., Grujić, D. et al. Rapid direct laser writing of microoptical components on a meltable biocompatible gel. Opt Quant Electron 54, 361 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-022-03681-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11082-022-03681-0