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Structural color three-dimensional printing by shrinking photonic crystals.
Yejing Liu1, Hao Wang1, Jinfa Ho2
1Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore, 487372, Singapore.
Nature Communications
|September 27, 2019
Summary
Researchers developed a novel heat-shrinking method to create 3D-printed photonic crystals. This breakthrough enables the printing of microscopic, multi-color 3D structures with sub-100-nm features for advanced optical applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Optics
Background:
- Nature utilizes photonic crystals for vibrant coloration in organisms like butterflies and chameleons.
- Current nanotechnology struggles to fabricate arbitrary 3D colors and shapes at microscopic scales.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a method for creating 3D-printed photonic crystals with sub-100-nm features.
- To demonstrate the printing of microscopic 3D objects with a full color spectrum.
Main Methods:
- A novel heat-shrinking technique was employed to reduce lattice constants by 5x.
- This process enabled the creation of sub-100-nm features in 3D-printed photonic crystals.
- Volumetric elements were used to print microscopic 3D structures.
Main Results:
- Achieved a 5x reduction in lattice constants, resulting in sub-100-nm features.
- Successfully printed a full range of colors in 3D microscopic structures.
- Created the first multi-color microscopic Eiffel Tower model (39 µm tall) with 1.45 µm color pixels.
Conclusions:
- The heat-shrinking method allows for precise 3D printing of photonic crystals at the microscopic scale.
- This technology facilitates the integration of color filters and spectrally selective devices onto various surfaces.
- Opens possibilities for advanced optical components and free-form device fabrication.
