3D photo-responsive optical devices manufactured by advanced printing technologies

TL;DR

This paper discusses advanced 3D printing techniques that enable the creation of photo-responsive optical devices capable of fast, light-controlled switching, addressing current limitations in material properties and spatial resolution.

Contribution

The authors develop novel additive manufacturing methods that embed photo-responsive compounds into 3D optical devices while maintaining optical properties and high spatial resolution.

Findings

Switching times of 1-10 seconds for 3D printed devices

Successful embedding of photo-responsive compounds in 3D structures

Potential for remote optical control of 3D printed photonic components

Abstract

Photonic components responsive to external optical stimuli are attracting increasing interest, because their properties can be manipulated by light with fast switching times, high spatial definition, and potentially remote control. These aspects can be further enhanced by novel architectures, which have been recently enabled by the availability of 3D printing and additive manufacturing technologies. However, current methods are still limited to passive optical materials, whereas photo-responsive materials would require the development of 3D printing techniques able to preserve the optical properties of photoactive compounds and to achieve high spatial resolution to precisely control the propagation of light. Also, optical losses in 3D printed materials are an issue to be addressed. Here we report on advanced additive manufacturing technologies, specifically designed to embed photo-responsive compounds in 3D optical devices. The properties of 3D printed devices can be controlled by external UV and visible light beams, with characteristic switching times in the range 1-10 s.