Phys.org May 15, 2024
Integration of functional materials and structures on the tips of optical fibers has enabled various applications in micro-optics. 3D printing technology holds promise for fabricating advanced micro-optical structures on fiber tips. Material selection has been limited to organic polymer-based photoresists because existing methods for 3D direct laser writing of inorganic materials involve high-temperature processing that is not compatible with optical fibers. Researchers in Sweden demonstrated 3D direct laser writing of inorganic glass with a subwavelength resolution on optical fiber tips. They showed two distinct printing modes that enabled the printing of solid silica glass structures “Uniform Mode” and self-organized subwavelength gratings “Nanograting Mode”. They illustrated the utility of their approach by printing two functional devices. According to the researchers by combining the superior material properties of glass with the plug-and-play nature of optical fibers, this approach enables promising applications in fields such as fiber sensing, optical microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and quantum photonics… read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Characterization of the refractive index of a 3D-printed glass cube… Credit: ACS Nano 2024, 18, 16, 10788–10797, March 29, 2024.