Facile fabrication of flexible concave microlens arrays with a well-controlled curvature

Lv, Guowei; Tian, Hongmiao; Shao, Jinyou; Feng, Xuehong; Meng, Lingjie; Ren, Zijun; Yu, Demei

doi:10.1039/d1qm00519g

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…The focal length and the FOV can be well-tuned via pH changes because both the 3D profiles of the CEs and the refractive index change under different pH conditions. In addition, there are also many examples of tunable MLAs based on electrical wettability regulation. , Currently, despite the great efforts devoted to this field through different ways, tunable MLAs still suffer from several problems with respect to high power consumption, an undeformable rigid body, relatively large and complex system structure, and limited focal length tunability. Consequently, innovative strategies for developing smart MLAs and CEs are highly desired for tunable imaging applications.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reconfigurable Microlens Array Enables Tunable Imaging Based on Shape Memory Polymers

Sun,

Liu,

Wan

et al. 2024

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

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Microlens arrays (MLAs) with a tunable imaging ability are core components of advanced micro-optical systems. Nevertheless, tunable MLAs generally suffer from high power consumption, an undeformable rigid body, large and complex systems, or limited focal length tunability. The combination of reconfigurable smart materials with MLAs may lead to distinct advantages including programmable deformation, remote manipulation, and multimodal tunability. However, unlike photopolymers that permit flexible structuring, the fabrication of tunable MLAs and compound eyes (CEs) based on transparent smart materials is still rare. In this work, we report reconfigurable MLAs that enable tunable imaging based on shape memory polymers (SMPs). The smart MLAs with closely packed 200 × 200 microlenses (40.0 μm in size) are fabricated via a combined technology that involves wet etching-assisted femtosecond laser direct writing of MLA templates on quartz, soft lithography for MLA duplication using SMPs, and the mechanical heat setting for programmable reconfiguration. By stretching or squeezing the shape memory MLAs at the transition temperature (80 °C), the size, profiles, and spatial distributions of the microlenses can be programmed. When the MLA is stretched from 0 to 120% (area ratio), the focal length is increased from 116 to 283 μm. As a proof of concept, reconfigurable MLAs and a 3D CE with a tunable field of view (FOV, 160–0°) have been demonstrated in which the thermally triggered shape memory deformation has been employed for tunable imaging. The reconfigurable MLAs and CEs with a tunable focal length and adjustable FOV may hold great promise for developing smart micro-optical systems.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reconfigurable Microlens Array Enables Tunable Imaging Based on Shape Memory Polymers

Sun,

Liu,

Wan

et al. 2024

ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces

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“…1 Preparation of tunable microlense array by electrowetting method. (a) Schematic of the principle of electrowetting method (EWOD) [22] ; (b) SEM image of a concave microlens array prepared using the EWOD under the application of a certain external voltage [27] ; (c) schematic illustration of microelectrodes printed by a stabilized conical jet printing mode and droplet microlenses printed by a droplet mode of electronic jet printing [28] ; (d) normalized light intensity distribution of the focused spot of the lens in MLAs induced by the EWOD mechanism at different voltages [28] ; (e) schematic representation of the processes of wetting, merging, growth, and dewetting of sulfur droplets on a gold electrode [29] 中国光学十大进展•特邀综述…”

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confidence: 99%

中国光学十大进展：可调谐微透镜阵列的研究进展（特邀）

Sun Zhijuan,

Han Dongdong,

Zhang Yonglai

2024

激光与光电子学进展

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Microlens arrays, as an optical element, can realize highquality imaging because of their high resolution and infinite depth of field. Additionally, they exhibit important applications in the fields of optical communication and optical sensing. In recent years, advancements in optoelectronics, micro and nanotechnology, smart materials, and other disciplines have spurred research on the tunability of microlens arrays, enabling microlens arrays to overcome the defects of fixed focal lengths.Furthermore, tunable microlens arrays greatly improve the flexibility of devices. This paper summarizes the recent research progress in three aspects, including shape tuning of microlenses, refractive index tuning, and superlens tuning; describes the principles and methodologies involved in tuning microlens arrays in detail; discusses the advantages and drawbacks of various tuning methods; introduces the application potential of tunable microlens arrays; and finally envisages their future development trends.

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Facile fabrication of flexible concave microlens arrays with a well-controlled curvature

Abstract: We report facile fabrication of flexible concave microlens arrays (MLAs) with a well-controlled curvature using the leaky dielectric (LD) via electrowetting-on-dielectrics (EWOD) phenomenon. MLAs with a larger curvature (up to...

Cited by 2 publications

References 34 publications

Reconfigurable Microlens Array Enables Tunable Imaging Based on Shape Memory Polymers

Reconfigurable Microlens Array Enables Tunable Imaging Based on Shape Memory Polymers

中国光学十大进展：可调谐微透镜阵列的研究进展（特邀）

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