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Functional Metallic Microcomponents via Liquid-Phase Multiphoton Direct Laser Writing: A Review
(2019)
We present an overview of functional metallic microstructures fabricated via direct laser writing out of the liquid phase. Metallic microstructures often are key components in diverse applications such as, e.g., microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Since the metallic component’s functionality mostly depends on other components, a technology that enables on-chip fabrication of these metal structures is highly desirable. Direct laser writing via multiphoton absorption is such a fabrication method. In the past, it has mostly been used to fabricate multidimensional polymeric structures. However, during the last few years different groups have put effort into the development of novel photosensitive materials that enable fabrication of metallic—especially gold and silver—microstructures. The results of these efforts are summarized in this review and show that direct laser fabrication of metallic microstructures has reached the level of applicability.
Disorder and photonics have long been seen as natural adversaries and designers of optical systems have often driven systems to perfection by minimizing deviations from the ideal design. Especially in the field of photonic crystals and metamaterials but also for optical circuits, disorder has been avoided as a nuisance for many years. However, starting from the very robust structural colors found in nature, scientists learn to analyze and tailor disorder to achieve functionalities beyond what is possible with perfectly ordered or ideal systems alone. This review article covers theoretical and materials aspects of tailored disorder as well as experimental results. Furthermore selected examples are highlighted in greater detail, for which the intentional use of disorder adds additional functionality or provides novel functionality impossible without disorder.
Weyl points are point degeneracies that occur in momentum space of 3D periodic materials and are associated with a quantized topological charge. Here, the splitting of a quadratic (charge-2) Weyl point into two linear (charge-1) Weyl points in a 3D micro-printed photonic crystal is observed experimentally via Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Using a theoretical analysis rooted in symmetry arguments, it is shown that this splitting occurs along high-symmetry directions in the Brillouin zone. This micro-scale observation and control of Weyl points is important for realizing robust topological devices in the near-infrared.
The great flexibility of direct laser writing (DLW) arises from the possibility to fabricate precise three-dimensional structures on very small scales as well as the broad range of applicable materials. However, there is still a vast number of promising materials, which are currently inaccessible requiring the continuous development of novel photoresists. Herein, a new bio-sourced resist is reported that uses the monomeric unit of chitin, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, paving the way from existing hydrogel resists based on animal carbohydrates to a new class of non-hydrogel ones. In addition, it is shown that the combined use of two photoinitiators is advantageous over the use of a single one. In this approach, the first photoinitiator is a good two-photon absorber at the applied wavelength, while the second photoinitiator exhibits poor two-photon absorbtion abilities, but is better suited for cross-linking of the monomer. The first photoinitiator absorbs the light acting as a sensitizer and transfers the energy to the second initiator, which subsequently forms a radical and initializes the polymerization. This sensitization effect enables a new route to utilize reactive photointiators with a small two-photon absorption cross section for DLW without changing their chemical structure.