Protein-based soft micro-optics fabricated by femtosecond laser direct writing

In this work,we report a novel soft diffractive micro-optics,called‘microscale kinoform phase-type lens(micro-KPL)’,which is fabricated by femtosecond laser direct writing(FsLDW)using bovine serum albumin(BSA)as building blocks and flexible polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS)slices as substrates.By carefully optimizing various process parameters of FsLDW(e.g.,average laser power density,scanning step,exposure time on a single point and protein concentration),the as-formed protein micro-KPLs exhibit excellent surface quality,well-defined three-dimensional(3D)geometry and distinctive optical properties,even in relatively harsh operation environments(for instance,in strong acid or base).Laser shaping,imaging and other optical performances can be easily achieved.More importantly,micro-KPLs also have unique flexible and stretchable properties as well as good biocompatibility and biodegradability.Therefore,such protein hydrogel-based micro-optics may have great potential applications,such as in flexible and stretchable photonics and optics,soft integrated optical microsystems and bioimplantable devices.

Endowing a plain fluidic chip with micro-optics: a holographic microscope slide

Lab-on-a-Chip(LoC)devices are extremely promising in that they enable diagnostic functions at the point-of-care.Within this scope,an important goal is to design imaging schemes that can be used out of the laboratory.In this paper,we introduce and test a pocket holographic slide that allows digital holography microscopy to be performed without an interferometer setup.Instead,a commercial off-the-shelf plastic chip is engineered and functionalized with this aim.The microfluidic chip is endowed with micro-optics,that is,a diffraction grating and polymeric lenses,to build an interferometer directly on the chip,avoiding the need for a reference arm and external bulky optical components.Thanks to the single-beam scheme,the system is completely integrated and robust against vibrations,sharing the useful features of any common path interferometer.Hence,it becomes possible to bring holographic functionalities out of the lab,moving complexity from the external optical apparatus to the chip itself.Label-free imaging and quantitative phase contrast mapping of live samples are demonstrated,along with flexible refocusing capabilities.Thus,a liquid volume can be analyzed in one single shot with no need for mechanical scanning systems.

The engineered eyeball, a tunable imaging system using soft-matter micro-optics

We demonstrate a tunable imaging system based on the functionality of the mammalian eye using soft-matter micro-optical components.Inspired by the structure of the eye,as well as by the means through which nature tunes its optical behavior,we show that the technologies of microsystems engineering and micro-optics may be used to realize a technical imaging system whose biomimetic functionality is entirely distinct from that of conventional optics.The engineered eyeball integrates a deformable elastomeric refractive structure whose shape is mechanically controlled through application of strain using liquid crystal elastomer(LCE)actuators;two forms of tunable iris,one based on optofluidics and the other on LCEs with embedded heaters;a fixed lens arrangement;and a commercial imaging sensor chip.The complete microsystem,optimized to yield optical characteristics close to those of the human eye,represents the first fully functional,soft-matter-based tunable single-aperture eye-like imager.

Sensitivity enhancement of micro-optical gyro with photonic crystal

We propose a core rotation-sensing element for improving the sensitivity of the micro-optical gyroscope using the large nonreciprocal effect with a photonic crystal.The sharp transmission peak of electromagnetically induced transparency in photonic crystal generated from a periodic distribution of cold atoms is sensitive to the rotation.Our numerical results show that the sensitivity of relative rotation is about 50 times higher and the sensitivity of absolute rotation is more than two orders higher than that of the traditional resonant optical gyroscope.Also,the sensitivity of the gyroscope can be manipulated by varying the atomic density,modulation frequency,probe pulse width,and photonic crystal length,etc.

Method Investigation for Fabricating Micro-Optical Elements by Use of Half Tone Masks

Several approaches to fabricate micro optical elements by use of half tone masks are studied and compared. It is shown that half tone masks employed in filtering image systems can obtain gray patterns with considerably high precision, but it is hard to operate from the viewpoint of operation. The method using contacting lithography technology or laser ablation can be easily operated with the cost of reducing fabrication precision and the trouble of choosing appropriate materials. For all of these methods, the coding of half tone masks with corrections for the nonlinear characteristics of coding, imaging and photoresist is recommended.

Characteristics of photonic nanojets from two-layer dielectric hemisphere

The properties of the photonic nanojet generated by a two-layer dielectric microsphere are studied. Simulation results indicate that this novel structure can generate a photonic nanojet outside its volume when the refractive index contrast relative to the background medium is higher than 2：1 in the condition of plane wave incidence. When the refractive index is smaller than 2, we show that an ultralong nanojet generated by the two-layer hemisphere has an extension of 28.2 wavelengths, and compared with the homogeneous dielectric hemisphere, it has superior performance in jet length and focal distance. Its dependence on the configuration and refractive index is investigated numerically. According to the simulation of the two-layer dielectric microsphere, a photonic nanojet with a full width at half maximum（FWHM） less than 1/2 wavelength is obtained and the tunable behaviors of the photonic nanojet are demonstrated by changing the reflective indices of the material or radius contrast ratio.

The Design and Manufacturing of Diffraction Optical Elements to form a Dot-Composed Etalon Image within the Optical Systems

The possibilities of manufacturing of diffraction optical elements (DOE), using the “Caroline 15 PE” plasma-etching machine were considered. It is established that at thickness of chromic mask of 100 nm the plasma-chemical etching (PCE) method reaches depth of surface micro-profile to 1.4 μm on optical glass. It allows increasing the diffraction efficiency of DOE to 0.3 - 0.35 on the second order of diffraction.

3D micro-devices for enhancing the lateral resolution in optical microscopy

Although optical microscopy is a widely used technique across various multidisciplinary fields for inspecting small-scale objects,surfaces or organisms,it faces a significant limitation:the lateral resolution of optical microscopes is fundamentally constrained by light diffraction.Dielectric micro-spheres,however,offer a promising solution to this issue as they are capable of significantly enhancing lateral resolution through extraordinary phenomena,such as a photonic nanojet.Building upon the potential of dielectric micro-spheres,this paper introduces a novel approach for fabricating 3D micro-devices designed to enhance lateral resolution in optical microscopy.The proposed 3D micro-device comprises a modified coverslip and a micro-sphere,facilitating easy handling and integration into any existing optical microscope.To manufacture the device,two advanced femtosecond laser techniques are employed:femtosecond laser ablation and multi-photon lithography.Femtosecond laser ablation was employed to create a micro-hole in the coverslip,which allows light to be focused through this aperture.Multi-photon lithography was used to fabricate a micro-sphere with a diameter of 20μm,along with a cantilever that positions the above the processed micro-hole and connect it with the coverslip.In this context,advanced processing strategies for multi-photon lithography to produce a micro-sphere with superior surface roughness and almost perfect geometry(λ/8)from a Zr-based hybrid photoresist are demonstrated.The performance of the micro-device was evaluated using Mirau-type coherence scanning interferometry in conjunction with white light illumination at a central wavelength of 600 nm and a calibration grid(Λ=0.28μm,h>50 nm).Here,the 3D micro-device proved to be capable of enhancing lateral resolution beyond the limits achievable with conventional lenses or microscope objectives when used in air.Simultaneously,it maintained the high axial resolution characteristic of Mirau-type coherence scanning interferometry.The results and optical properties of the micro-sphere were analyzed and further discussed through simulations.

Holographic laser fabrication of 3D artificial compound μ-eyes

The demand for fast optical image acquisition without movable optical elements(e.g.,for self-driving car technology)can be met using bioinspired 3D compound eyes.3D laser processing strategies enable designable 3D structuring but suffer from low fabrication efficiency,which significantly limits their applications in producing complex 3D optical devices.Herein,we demonstrate a versatile yet simple wet-etching-assisted holographic laser fabrication method for the development of 3D compound eyes.Artificial compoundμ-eyes can be readily fabricated by programming a 3D spot array for the parallel ablation of a curved fused silica surface,followed by controllable etching in a hydrofluoric(HF)acid solution.A 3D-concave-lens array made on a curved surface over an area of 100μm cross-section with each lenslet of 10μm radius was fabricated with high fidelity and excellent imaging/focusing quality.The resultant 3D-concave-lens can serve as a hard template for the mass production of soft compound eyes through soft lithography.Additionally,using a generative adversarial network(GAN)-based deep learning algorithm,image restoration was conducted for each lenslet,which retained a large field of view and significantly improved image quality.This method provides a simple solution to the requirements of compoundμ-eyes required by Industry 4.0.

Multifunctional integration on optical fiber tips: challenges and opportunities

.The flat endface of an optical fiber tip is an emerging light-coupled microscopic platform that combines fiber optics with planar micro-and nanotechnologies.Since different materials and structures are integrated onto the endfaces,optical fiber tip devices have miniature sizes,diverse integrated functions,and low insertion losses,making them suitable for all-optical networks.In recent decades,the increasing demand for multifunctional optical fibers has created opportunities to develop various structures on fiber tips.Meanwhile,the unconventional shape of optical fibers presents challenges involving the adaptation of standard planar micro-and nanostructure preparation strategies for fiber tips.In this context,researchers are committed to exploring and optimizing fiber tip manufacturing techniques,thereby paving the way for future integrated all-fiber devices with multifunctional applications.First,we present a broad overview of current fabrication technologies,classified as“top-down,”“bottom-up,”and“material transfer”methods,for patterning optical fiber tips.Next,we review typical structures integrated on fiber tips and their known and potential applications,categorized with respect to functional structure configurations,including“optical functionalization”and“electrical integration.”Finally,we discuss the prospects for future opportunities involving multifunctional integrated fiber tips.

All-optical manipulation of micrometer-sized metallic particles

Optical traps use focused laser beams to generate forces on targeted objects ranging in size from nanometers to micrometers. However, for their high coefficients of scattering and absorption, micrometer-sized metallic particles were deemed non-trappable in three dimensions using a single beam. This barrier is now removed. We demon- strate, both in theory and experiment, three-dimensional （3D） dynamic all-optical manipulations of micrometer- sized gold particles under high focusing conditions. The force of gravity is found to balance the positive axial optical force exerted on particles in an inverted optical tweezers system to form two trapping positions along the vertical direction. Both theoretical and experimental results confirm that stable 3D manipulations are achievable for these particles regardl for a variety of in-depth ess of beam polarization and wavelength. research requiting metallic particles. The present work opens up new opportunities .

Silicon micromirrors with three-dimensional curvature enabling lensless efficient coupling of free-space light

Miniaturized optical benches process free-space light propagating in-plane with respect to the substrate and have a large variety of applications,including the coupling of light through an optical fiber.High coupling efficiency is usually obtained using assembled micro-optical parts,which considerably increase the system cost and integration effort.In this work,we report a high coupling efficiency,monolithically integrated silicon micromirror with controlled three-dimensional(3D)curvature that is capable of manipulating optical beams propagating in the plane of the silicon substrate.Based on our theoretical modeling,a spherical micromirror with a microscale radius of curvature as small as twice the Gaussian beam Rayleigh range provides a 100%coupling efficiency over a relatively long optical path range.Introducing dimensionless parameters facilitates the elucidation of the role of key design parameters,including the mirror’s radii of curvature,independent of the wavelength.A micromachining method is presented for fabricating the 3D micromirror using fluorinated gas plasmas.The measured coupling efficiency was greater than 50%over a 200-mm optical path,compared to less than 10%afforded by a conventional flat micromirror,which was in good agreement with the model.Using the 3D micromirror,an optical cavity was formed with a round-trip diffraction loss of less than 0.4%,resulting in one order of magnitude enhancement in the measured quality factor.A nearly 100%coupling was also estimated when matching the sagittal and tangential radii of curvature of the presented micromirror’s surface.The reported class of 3D micromirrors may be an advantageous replacement for the optical lenses usually assembled in silicon photonics and optical benches by transforming them into real 3D monolithic systems while achieving wideband high coupling efficiency over submillimeter distances.

High-resolution 1D moire s as counterfeit security features

A moireis an interference pattern that appears when two different periodic structures are overlaid.The image created is extremely sensitive to small variations in the original layers and is thus very interesting for anti-counterfeit protection.We present a microfabricated 1D moire enabling complex high-resolution patterns as a significantly improved security feature that cannot be reproduced using standard printing methods.Furthermore,we demonstrate,theoretically and experimentally,that a microscopic deviation from the original design results in a macroscopic variation in the moire that is clearly visible to the naked eye.The record resolution achieved in the elements fabricated and the increased design freedom,make these high-resolution moires excellent candidates for a variety of visually appealing security applications.

Optical-fiber-based powerful tools for living cell manipulation [Invited]

By using a specialty optical fiber, a series of powerful microparticle manipulation tools, including optical tweezers, a micro-optical hand, and an optical gun, are developed and demonstrated. In this paper,a review of our research activities on the optical manipulation of microparticles is presented. In particular,we will describe a kind of specialty optical fiber designed and fabricated for building optical trapping and manipulating tools. The performances of annular core fiber-based optical tweezers, a multicore fiber-based micro-optical hand, and a coaxial dual waveguide fiber-based optical gun are demonstrated as examples of applications and discussed in detail. The fiber can be used in cell manipulation in life science and drug response in medicine.

Elastomeric lenses with tunable astigmatism

Microlenses fabricated using flexible elastomers can be tuned in focal length by application of controlled strain.By varying the strain azimuthally,the lenses may be deformed asymmetrically such that aberrations may be controlled.This approach is used to tune the astigmatism of the tunable lenses,and it is shown that the generated wavefront may be accurately controlled.The lens presented here has an initial focal length of 32.6 mm and a tuning range of 12.3 mm for approximately 10%applied strain.The range of directly tunable Zernike polynomials representing astigmatism is about 3 mm,while the secondary lens errors,which cannot be tuned directly,vary only by about 0.2 mm.

Human-like stereo sensors using plasmonic antenna embedded MZI with space–time modulation control[Invited]

A micro stereo sensor system is proposed for human sensors,where eyes,ears,tongue,nose,body,and brain are applied by six panda rings embedded in a Mach–Zehnder interferometer(MZI).The input power is applied to the upper branch of MZI and propagates within the system.The six antennas(sensors)are formed by the whispering gallery modes of the panda rings.The space–time modulation signal is applied to the MZI lower branch.The modulated stereo signals can be configured as the plasmon(electron)spin orientations,which can be identified and applied for quantum codes and quantum consciousness.

Abnormal elemental redistribution in oxyfluoride glasses induced by high repetition rate femtosecond laser

We report on the elemental redistribution behavior in oxyfluoride glasses with a high repetition rate nearinfrared femtosecond laser.Elemental analysis by an electro-probe microanalyzer demonstrates that the redistributions of Ca^2+and Yb^3+ions change dramatically with pulse energy,which are quite different compared with previous reported results.Confocal fluorescence spectra of Yb^3+ions demonstrate that the luminescence intensity changes obviously with the elemental redistribution.The mechanism of the observed phenomenon is discussed.This observation may have potential applications in the fabrication of micro-optical devices.

Single-waveguide-based microresonators for optical sensing

Optical biosensors with a high sensitivity and a low detection limit play a highly significant role in extensive scenarios related to our daily life. Combined with a specific numerical simulation based on the transfer matrix and resonance condition, the idea of novel single-waveguide-based microresonators with a double-spiral-race- track （DSR） shape is proposed and their geometry optimizations and sensing characteristics are also investigated based on the Vernier effect. The devices show good sensing performances, such as a high quality factor of 1.23 x 105, a wide wavelength range of over 120 nm, a high extinction ratio （ER） over 62.1 dB, a high sensitivity of 698.5 nm/RIU, and a low detection limit of 1.8 × 10^-5. Furthermore, single-waveguide-based resonators can also be built by cascading two DSR structures in series, called twin-DSRs, and the results show that the sensing properties are enhanced in terms of quasi free spectral range （FSR） and ER due to the double Vernier effect. Excellent features indicate that our novel single-waveguide-based resonators have the potential for future compact and highly integrated biosensors.

Electric field tunable strong transverse light current from nanoparticles embedded in liquid crystal

We present an exact solution to the problem of electromagnetic scattering by nanosphere clusters embedded in a liquid crystal cell, based on the Mie theory. The dependence of the scattering property on the structure parameters is investigated in detail. It is shown that strong transverse light currents at the optical frequency can be obtained from these realized by complex structures. Furthermore, we find that sign reversal of the transverse light current can be changing frequency and voltage. The physical origins of these phenomena have been analyzed. The transverse light current for subwavelength nanoscale dimensions is of practical significance. Thus, the application of these phenomena to optical devices is anticipated.