Português

Swedish KTH develops 3D printed quartz glass micro optical devices on optical fibers

790
2024-05-23 14:12:18
Ver tradução

In what has been described as the "first communication", Swedish researchers conducted 3D printed quartz glass micro optical devices on the tip of optical fibers. They said that this progress could lead to faster Internet and better connectivity, as well as innovations such as smaller sensors and imaging systems.

Scientists from the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm have stated that combining quartz glass optical devices with optical fibers can achieve various innovations, including more sensitive remote sensors for the environment and healthcare. The printing technology they reported may also prove valuable in the production of drugs and chemicals.

This work was described in the ACS Nano journal.
Professor Kristin Gylfason from KTH stated that this method overcomes the long-term limitations of using quartz glass to construct fiber tips, which typically require high-temperature treatment, thereby damaging the integrity of temperature sensitive fiber coatings.

Compared to other methods, this process starts from a non carbon substrate. This means that there is no need for high temperatures to remove carbon, in order to make the glass structure transparent. Lead author Lee Lun Lai said that researchers have printed a quartz glass sensor, which has been proven to be more elastic than standard plastic sensors after multiple measurements.

New applications
Meanwhile, researchers from Aston University in Birmingham have received over £ 1 million ($1.27 million) in funding to develop very small optical devices that can also be installed on fiber surfaces. The potential applications are manufacturing, information technology, and agriculture.

The Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (EPSRC) in the UK has provided a grant of £ 1167290 for the PicoSNAP project. This award will be used to develop surface nanoscale axial photonics (SNAP) technology, which can manufacture micro photonic devices.

Traditionally, the accuracy of micro devices is limited by the size of atoms, and manufacturing techniques remain stable at a few nanometers. However, the PicoSNAP technology, pioneered by Professor Misha Sumetsky from the Aston Institute of Photonics Technology (AIPT), allows devices to be further scaled down so that measurements can be made in picometers.

Professor Sumetsky's goal is to develop a reliable manufacturing process to produce equipment that is both ultra precise and easy to replicate. If successful, the project will not only bring a new revolutionary technology, but also provide micro optical devices with previously unattainable performance and prepare for practical applications.

He said, "The lack of reliable and scalable picosecond precision manufacturing processes remains a major obstacle, and SNAP technology has the potential to meet this demand with its excellent accuracy and performance. The goal of this project is to develop the process, which requires a deep understanding of the relevant physical phenomena and the design and manufacture of new micro devices that are crucial for future communication, optical signal processing, microwave, and sensing technologies.".

Source: Laser Net

Recomendações relacionadas
  • Zeiss Medical Technology nominated for the 2025 German Future Award

    Germany’s Office of the Federal President has announced the nominations for the German Future Prize 2025 (“Deutscher Zukunftspreis”). This year’s nominees include Dr. Mark Bischoff, Dr. Gregor Stobrawa and Dirk Mühlhoff from Zeiss Medical Technology (ZMT), for their project for minimally-invasive lenticule extraction to correct refractive errors. Nominated: Dirk Mühlhoff, Mark Bischoff, and Gr...

    09-22
    Ver tradução
  • Trends and Reflections on the Laser Industry in 2025

    In 2024, the laser industry will still reach new heights, although some predicted concerns have been fulfilled! From beginning to end, the development path of the manufacturing industry has been full of uncertainty, but as time passes and we enter a new year, new technologies continue to emerge like mushrooms after rain.In 2025, practitioners in the laser and manufacturing industries still face ma...

    01-02
    Ver tradução
  • SuperLight Launches "First" Portable Broadband Laser

    Supercontinuum spectrum laser developer SuperLight Photonics has launched the so-called "first revolutionary portable broadband laser" - SLP-1000. Its wide spectral output provides a light source for industrial and medical imaging applications as well as spectroscopy.Supercontinuum spectrum lasers, also known as broadband lasers, provide high bandwidth while maintaining high coherence and low nois...

    2023-11-02
    Ver tradução
  • Stuttgart University researchers develop a new high-power 3D printed micro optical device for compact lasers

    Researchers from the Fourth Institute of Physics at the University of Stuttgart have demonstrated the feasibility of 3D printed polymer based micro optical devices in harsh laser environments.This study was detailed in the Journal of Optics, outlining the use of 3D printing technology to directly manufacture microscale optical devices on fibers, seamlessly integrating fibers and laser crystals int...

    2024-01-09
    Ver tradução
  • AWOL Vision will showcase cutting-edge laser projectors and award-winning innovations at CEDIA 2023

    AWOL Vision has announced that it will be showcasing the latest innovations in home entertainment at this year's CEDIA Expo in Denver, Colorado from September 7-9.At the show, AWOL Vision will debut the new LVV-3000 Pro and LVV-3500 Pro laser projectors with Dolby Vision and Control4 integration, and will showcase the latest Vanish TV, The TV recently received the prestigious "IFA 2023 Best of the...

    2023-09-08
    Ver tradução