Organic dye doped microstructures for optically active functional devices fabricated via two-photon polymerization technique

Anotacija

Femtosecond Laser Two-Photon Polymerization (LTPP) is a fabrication technique based on ultra-localized polymerization reaction initiated by nonlinear absorption of tightly focused light beam. It offers possibility to form three-dimensional (3D) micro- and nanostructures out of photopolymers. The point-by-point photostructuring allows fabrication of objects directly from Computer Aided Design (CAD) models and thereby the geometry of required structure can be changed flexibly. The smallest structural elements, also called voxels (volumetric pixels), of 200 nm lateral dimensions can be achieved with high repeatability. In this article, we present 3D microstructures fabricated out of hybrid zirconium-silicon containing hybrid sol-gel photopolymer ORMOSIL (SZ2080) doped with conventionally used fluorescent dyes: rhodamine 6G (R6G), fluorescein, DCM LC6500, and coumarin 152. The structural quality of the microobjects was investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Interior of doped 3D micro- and nanostructures has been diagnosed with a custom made scanning fluorescence microscope. Additionally, fluorescing artificial scaffolds, which could be used for cell growth and cell tracking, were manufactured. Finally, the model of Distributed Feedback Dye Laser (DFBL) was successfully fabricated and this demonstrated the possibility to manufacture optically active elements from doped photopolymers. Keywords: direct laser writing, doped polymers, 3D fabrication, distributed feedback dye laser