Fabrication of a multifaceted mapping mirror using two-photon polymerization for a snapshot image mapping...

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Materials Science
• Additive Manufacturing

Background:

• Traditional diamond cutting limits design flexibility for multifaceted mapping mirrors.
• High-precision optical components are crucial for advanced imaging systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel design and fabrication technique for high-precision, large-format multifaceted mapping mirrors.
• To demonstrate the capability of two-photon polymerization for creating complex mirror structures.
• To validate the performance of the fabricated mirrors in an imaging spectrometer prototype.

Main Methods:

• Utilized two-photon polymerization for mirror fabrication, creating 36 2D tilted square pixels.
• Optimized fabrication parameters to minimize stitching defects by adjusting tilt angles and printing field of view.
• Coated mirrors with aluminum (93 nm) via sputter coating to enhance reflectivity.
• Characterized mirror surface roughness (12 nm) and tilt angle precision (2.03% deviation) using white light interferometry and scanning electron microscopy.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated large-format multifaceted mapping mirrors with high precision.
• Achieved excellent optical surface quality and accurate tilt angles.
• Demonstrated the functional performance of a 3D printed mapping mirror in an image mapping spectrometer prototype.

Conclusions:

• Two-photon polymerization offers a flexible and effective method for fabricating advanced mapping mirrors.
• The developed mirrors are suitable for high-quality imaging in applications like microscopy and spectroscopy.
• This technology holds significant potential for practical applications in scientific instrumentation.