A convex lens printed by Luxexcel’s 3D printing method
you have the same machine – you just load a different design, print it and you get out a different optical component from your system,’ Niesler explained. The material properties of polymers, in combination with the design diversity offered by 3D printing technology, have led to plastic optics becoming the preferred option for certain applications. For example, the low cost of plastic optics makes them practical for single-use disposable medical devices, while the design versatility and precision of 3D printing mean plastic optics are ideal for biometric applications, such as retinal scanners. Plastic optics are also now a common component of smartphones. Manufacturing micro-optics is a delicate
process that cannot be performed by any @electrooptics |
www.electrooptics.com
We can print
something with a sensor in, or a filter, and then keep printing
3D printer. Although the layer-by-layer building process is universal across all printer models, the way the polymers are processed sets them apart. ‘We [Nanoscribe] are using two-photon polymerisation as the main mechanism,’ explained Niesler. Two-photon polymerisation is a technique used to fabricate structures with resolutions down to 100nm. A femtosecond pulsed laser is focused on a photopolymer, where two photons combine at the focal point and excite the polymer molecules to a higher electron state. The resolution offered by this technique gives delicate micro structures, making it ideal for micro-optics fabrication. Nanoscribe has also collaborated with the University of Stuttgart, providing equipment and support to researchers at the University’s 4th Physics Institute. The researchers used another 3D printing technique – known as femtosecond laser writing – to fabricate integrated optical elements at a sub-micron scale. Femtosecond laser writing uses very short pulses of light to harden a light- sensitive material selectively. Any unhardened material can then be washed away, revealing the 3D structure that has been created. With the technique, the researchers developed phaseplates, polarisers, singlet lenses, doublet lenses and triplet objectives. According to Professor Harald Giessen from the 4th Physics Institute, and leader of the research group there, 3D printing is the only way to fabricate such components of this size. ‘There simply aren’t standard methods to produce freeform surfaces with sub-lambda accuracy on a 100µm diameter scale,’ said Giessen. ‘Especially when it comes to doublet and triplet lenses that require an undercut or mounting and alignment; there is no alternative to our method.’ Nanoscribe has recently become more involved in the research conducted at the University of Stuttgart. ‘At the beginning of July we started collaborating with not only Stuttgart but also with an industry partner who is in the endoscope business,’ said Niesler. This is a government funded project called ‘Print Optics’ that aims to demonstrate prototype micro-optics for
endoscopes. ‘The goal here is to see how far 3D-printed micro-optics can be driven for an industrial application,’ Niesler continued. The collaboration will develop the two-
Dr. Tim Paasch-Colberg, Marketing It Only Takes Two
Absorption of two photons at different wavelengths can stimulate 2-color 2-pho- ton excitation of fluorophores. This tech- nique requires powerful femtosecond pul- ses at two wavelengths, as provided by TOPTICA‘s FemtoFiber dichro bioMP.
The system combines the advantages of fiber lasers with the ability to excite most relevant fluorophores in the region of 750 - 1100 nm. And it takes only two wave- lengths with the dichro concept.
Multiphoton Imaging @ TOPTICA FemtoFiber dichro bioMP
780 nm, (900 nm), 1050 nm, 150 fs, 80 MHz, 1.5 W
Hands off operation, passive air cooling
GDD, AOM, pulse delay, focus adjustment included
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www.toptica.com
Luxexcel
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