Organic dye doped microstructures for optically active functional devices fabricated via two-photon polymerization technique

Abstract

Femtosecond Laser Two-Photon Polymerization (LTPP) is a fabrication technique based on ultra-localized polymerization reaction initiated by nonlinear absorption of tightly focused light beam. It offers possibility to form three-dimensional (3D) micro-and nanostructures out of photopolymers. The point-by-point photostructuring allows fabrication of objects directly from Computer Aided Design (CAD) models and thereby the geometry of required structure can be changed flexibly. The smallest structural elements, also called voxels (volumetric pixels), of 200 nm lateral dimensions can be achieved with high repeatability. In this article, we present 3D microstructures fabricated out of hybrid zirconium-silicon containing hybrid sol-gel photopolymer ORMOSIL (SZ2080) doped with conventionally used fluorescent dyes: rhodamine 6G (R6G), fluorescein, DCM LC6500, and coumarin 152. The structural quality of the microobjects was investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Interior of doped 3D micro-and nanostructures has been diagnosed with a custom made scanning fluorescence microscope. Additionally, fluorescing artificial scaffolds, which could be used for cell growth and cell tracking, were manufactured. Finally, the model of Distributed Feedback Dye Laser (DFBL) was successfully fabricated and this demonstrated the possibility to manufacture optically active elements from doped photopolymers.

Hybrid Subtractive-Additive-Welding Microfabrication for Lab-on-Chip (LOC) Applications via Single Amplified Femtosecond Laser Source

“…The channels were sealed with 150 µm cover glass slide. For the filter mesh fabrication a hybrid organic-inorganic photopolymer SZ2080 was chosen as it exhibits high mechanical strength, 11 wide fabrication window 12 and, if need arises, could be easily combined with organic 13 or inorganic 14 additives for increased functionality. It was mixed with 1 wt.% photoinitiator 2-benzyl-2-dimethylamino-1-(4-morpholinophenyl)-butanone-1 (also known as Irgacure 369).…”

Optically Clear and Resilient Free-Form <em>&micro;</em>-Optics 3D-Printed via Ultrafast Laser Lithography

“…For other diverse applications, SZ2080 can be doped with organic die molecules [47] or noble metal nanoparticles [48], which can be used for polymerisation control or increased functionalities. In the recently developed field of astro-photonics [49], where absorption in laser written waveguide lanterns is strong [50], the polymerised waveguides can tackle high loss problem.…”

Femtosecond lasers for processing glassy and polymeric materials

“…Two-photon absorption polymerization (2PP) has emerged as a promising technique for fabricating polymeric microdevices due to the advantages it provides 16,17 ; (i) resolution below the diffraction limit because of the quadratic dependence on the intensity, (ii) no restrictions regarding the shape the 3D fabricated structures and (iii) the capability of producing components with moving parts. In the last few years, the 2PP fabrication of microstructures containing compounds of interest, such as fluorescent dyes and nanoparticles, has been demonstrated in polymeric structures [18][19][20][21] , as well as in hybrid organic-inorganic materials 22 , with interesting prospects for the development of devices 14, 23 . These structures can be specially designed to meet the desired application 24 .…”