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Updated: Feb 12, 2026

Femtosecond Laser Filaments for Use in Sub-Diffraction-Limited Imaging and Remote Sensing
Published on: April 25, 2019
An ultra-sensitive iontronic pressure sensor with femtosecond-laser-engraved microstructures for
Yihui Lan1,2, Guirong Wu1,2, Jin Tang3
1Pen-Tung Sah Institute of Micro-Nano Science and Technology, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102, China. lbgao@xmu.edu.cn.
None:
Flexible pressure sensors that mimic human skin are attractive for electronic skin, soft robotics, and healthcare, but it remains difficult to combine ultrahigh sensitivity, wide range, and long-term stability in one device. Here, we present an ultra-sensitive iontronic pressure sensor (USIPS) based on a fingerprint-inspired spiral interpolating electrode, a laser-processed spacer, and a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU)/graphene/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/ionic-liquid composite layer microstructured into cylindrical protrusions by femtosecond-laser engraving. This architecture amplifies contact mechanics and electric-double-layer modulation, delivering ultrahigh sensitivities of ∼1.92 × 105 kPa-1 (0-110 kPa), ∼6.58 × 104 kPa-1 (110-300 kPa), and ∼1.91 × 104 kPa-1 (300-900 kPa), together with a wide detection range (from ∼577 Pa to 900 kPa), fast response (∼20 ms), and excellent stability under prolonged high-pressure loading. Coupled with a tailored signal-processing and machine-learning pipeline, the USIPS enables quantitative hardness/softness perception and accurate discrimination of representative materials, while also supporting pulse monitoring, robotic grasping, and plantar gait analysis. These results demonstrate a unified iontronic-AI platform for wide-range, high-fidelity tactile sensing and intelligent perception.
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