Modeling the surface of fast-cured polymer droplet lenses for precision fabrication

Optical lenses with diameter in the millimeter range have found important commercial use in smartphone cameras. Although these lenses are typically made by molding, recent demonstration of fast-cured polymer droplets by inkjet printing has gained interest for cost-effective smartphone microscopy. In this technique, the surface of a fast-cured polydimethylsiloxane droplet obtains dynamic equilibrium via the interplay of surface tension, gravity, thermalization, and a steep viscosity hike. The nature of surface formation involves multiple physical and chemical domains, which represent significant challenges in modeling with the Young-Laplace theory, assuming constant surface tension and viscosity. To overcome these challenges, we introduce the concept of effective surface tension, which allows fast-cured polymer droplets to be modeled as normal liquid droplets with constant viscosity.