TY - JOUR
T1 - Fiber-Fed 3D Printing of Germanate Glass Optics
AU - Hong, Zhihan
AU - Luo, Tao
AU - Jiang, Shibin
AU - Liang, Rongguang
N1 - Funding Information: This research was partially supported by USAF/AFMC, grant number AFRL-2023-0530. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.
PY - 2023/4
Y1 - 2023/4
N2 - In recent years, 3D printing glass optics has gained massive attention in industry and academia since glass could be an ideal material to make optical elements, including the lens. However, the limitation of materials and printing methods has prevented 3D printing glass optics progress. Therefore, we have developed a novel printing strategy for germanate glass printing instead of pure silica. Moreover, compared with traditional multi-component quartz glass, germanate glass has unmatched advantages for its mid-infrared (MIR) transparency and outstanding visible light imaging performance. Furthermore, compared with non-oxide glass (fluoride glass and chalcogenide glass), germanate glass has much better mechanical, physical, and chemical properties and a high refractive index. Germanate glass has been widely applied in remote sensing, ranging, environmental detection, and biomedical detection. However, it is difficult to shape, cast, polish, and grind for optical and photonics applications such as imaging optics and laser-collimation optics. These drawbacks have made germanate glass inaccessible to complex optical elements and greatly increased their cost. In this report, we use germanate glass fibers with a diameter of 125 µm based on fiber-fed laser heating technology to fabricate an mm-size optical application. In this paper, we combine the fiber-fed laser heating technology with an optimized temperature control process to manufacture high-precision optical elements. Germanate glass optics can be printed with excellent visible light and IR transparency and a smooth surface with roughness under 4 nm. By optimizing the layer-by-layer 3D printing process and the thermal feedback in the printing process, we avoid cracks and minimize surface deformation. This work shows the possibility of the mm-size glass optical elements 3D printing and widens its application for IR optics.
AB - In recent years, 3D printing glass optics has gained massive attention in industry and academia since glass could be an ideal material to make optical elements, including the lens. However, the limitation of materials and printing methods has prevented 3D printing glass optics progress. Therefore, we have developed a novel printing strategy for germanate glass printing instead of pure silica. Moreover, compared with traditional multi-component quartz glass, germanate glass has unmatched advantages for its mid-infrared (MIR) transparency and outstanding visible light imaging performance. Furthermore, compared with non-oxide glass (fluoride glass and chalcogenide glass), germanate glass has much better mechanical, physical, and chemical properties and a high refractive index. Germanate glass has been widely applied in remote sensing, ranging, environmental detection, and biomedical detection. However, it is difficult to shape, cast, polish, and grind for optical and photonics applications such as imaging optics and laser-collimation optics. These drawbacks have made germanate glass inaccessible to complex optical elements and greatly increased their cost. In this report, we use germanate glass fibers with a diameter of 125 µm based on fiber-fed laser heating technology to fabricate an mm-size optical application. In this paper, we combine the fiber-fed laser heating technology with an optimized temperature control process to manufacture high-precision optical elements. Germanate glass optics can be printed with excellent visible light and IR transparency and a smooth surface with roughness under 4 nm. By optimizing the layer-by-layer 3D printing process and the thermal feedback in the printing process, we avoid cracks and minimize surface deformation. This work shows the possibility of the mm-size glass optical elements 3D printing and widens its application for IR optics.
KW - 3D printing
KW - biomedical
KW - collimator
KW - fiber-fed
KW - germanate
KW - glass
KW - imaging
KW - infrared
KW - laser
KW - lens
KW - temperature control
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85153704001&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85153704001&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/photonics10040378
DO - 10.3390/photonics10040378
M3 - Article
SN - 2304-6732
VL - 10
JO - Photonics
JF - Photonics
IS - 4
M1 - 378
ER -