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Chromatic control in coextruded layered polymer microlenses
Optics Express
|January 22, 2015
Summary
Researchers developed novel polymer microlenses using multilayer coextrusion, creating tunable chromatic dispersion by integrating photonic crystal properties. These advanced optical components offer precise control over light, enabling new applications in optics and photonics.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Materials Science
- Polymer Science
Background:
- Microlenses are crucial optical components.
- Controlling chromatic dispersion in microlenses is challenging.
- Photonic crystals offer unique optical properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate and characterize novel polymer microlenses.
- To investigate the role of photonic crystals in microlens dispersion.
- To enable tunable chromatic dispersion through layered structures.
Main Methods:
- Multilayer coextrusion of polystyrene and polymethylmethacrylate.
- Photolithography with grayscale masks and plasma etching.
- Huygen's principle modeling and experimental focal length measurements.
Main Results:
- Successfully fabricated microlenses with alternating polymer layers.
- Demonstrated a 1D photonic crystal effect augmenting material dispersion.
- Measured a ~25% variation in focal length across the reflection band.
Conclusions:
- Layered polymer microlenses can be precisely engineered.
- Photonic crystal dispersion allows for chromatic dispersion sculpting.
- These microlenses offer tunable optical properties for advanced applications.
