Solmers: Versatile hybrid resins for nanometric 3D printing of silica-based photonic components

• Published in: Materials today advances Vol. 22; p. 100500
• Main Authors: El Aadad, Halima, El Hamzaoui, Hicham, Brévalle-Wasilewski, Gaëlle, Bernard, Rémy, Kinowski, Christophe, Quiquempois, Yves, Douay, Marc
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: Chemical Sciences; High-resolution 3D printing; Optical sensors; Physics; Silica-based glass; Sol-gel process; Solmers; Two-photon polymerization; Silica-based glass; Two-photon polymerization; Optical sensors; High-resolution 3D printing; Solmers; Sol-gel process
• ISSN: 2590-0498; 2590-0498
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mtadv.2024.100500

Owning to their intrinsic properties, silica-based glasses are widely used in various technological fields, especially in photonics. However, high degree of flexibility is yet challenging in realization of next-generation miniaturized optical components. In this work, we develop an approach based on ‶Solmers″ hybrid resins allowing versatile two-photon polymerization 3D printing of silica glasses with 23 nm resolution, doping with Germanium and/or rare-earths elements. Other dopants such as gold nanoparticles were also incorporated for localized metallization. After 3D printing and sintering (1100–1300 °C), high optical quality glasses with low surface roughness (<0.2 nm) were obtained. Structural analyses confirmed the amorphous structure of silica glasses. Various mono- or multi-materials microstructures were successfully fabricated on fused silica substrates. Besides, this approach was extended to the functionalization of optical fibers for optical sensing applications in harsh environment (1000 °C). Compared to organic or organic-inorganic materials, these dense silica-based glasses with enhanced optical and structural properties will open new avenues for the development of emerging advanced optical components. [Display omitted]