Additive manufacturing of double-sided centimeter-scale optics

In this article we demonstrate rapid manufacturing of an illumination quality double-sided centimeter-scale optics without any post-processing. Two methods are presented: additive manufacturing (AM) using an optically transparent material with a water-soluble support material (support method), and alternatively, using only the optically transparent material but flipping the optics mid-process (flipping method). The main advantage of the flipping method is that only one material is needed. However, the use of support material is more straightforward, allows better alignment between the two sides of the lens and enables more complex lenses manufactured in the future. Both methods result in sufficient surface quality, i.e. surface roughness R_q = 11.48 ±3.32 nm and form accuracy of ±10 μm, for the purposes of illumination optics.