Abstract
We introduce optically clear and resilient free-form micro-optical components of pure (non-photosensitized) organic-inorganic SZ2080 material made by femtosecond 3D laser lithography (3DLL). This is advantageous for rapid printing of 3D micro-/nano-optics, including their integration directly onto optical fibers. A systematic study of the fabrication peculiarities and quality of resultant structures is performed. Comparison of microlens resiliency to continuous wave (CW) and femtosecond pulsed exposure is determined. Experimental results prove that pure SZ2080 is ∼20 fold more resistant to high irradiance as compared with standard lithographic material (SU8) and can sustain up to 1.91 GW/cm intensity. 3DLL is a promising manufacturing approach for high-intensity micro-optics for emerging fields in astro-photonics and atto-second pulse generation. Additionally, pyrolysis is employed to homogeneously shrink structures up to 40% by removing organic SZ2080 constituents. This opens a promising route towards downscaling photonic lattices and the creation of mechanically robust glass-ceramic microstructures.
Highlights
Hybrid organic-inorganic polymers have emerged as great materials for fabricating objects in both 2D and 3D configurations [1,2,3]
Surface roughness of structures produced out of both compositions was in the range of root mean square (RMS) < 20 nm, which is sufficient for fabricating micro-optical components
A micro-optical element made out of pure SZ2080 was integrated on the tip of an optical fiber
Summary
Hybrid organic-inorganic polymers have emerged as great materials for fabricating objects in both 2D and 3D configurations [1,2,3] They are the material of choice for lithographic 3D femtosecond laser structuring due to several convenient features, which include optical transparency in the visible part of the spectrum [4] and the use of photoinitiators (PI) absorbing the UV radiation [5,6,7]. The latter makes them perfectly suitable for multiphoton polymerization [5,8] achieved by an ultrafast laser and employed in true free-form structuring by 3D laser lithography (3DLL) [9]. This led to extensive research in this area and, to date, new hybrid materials containing Si [1], Zr [4] and Ge [10] were made for 3DLL.
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