Investigation into fabrication and optical characteristics of tunable optofluidic microlenses using two-photon polymerization.

Optofluidic systems, integrating microfluidic and micro-optical technologies, have emerged as transformative tools for various applications, from molecular detection to flow cytometry. However, existing optofluidic microlenses often rely on external forces for tunability, hindering seamless integration into systems. This work presents an approach using two-photon polymerization (TPP) to fabricate inherently tunable microlens arrays, eliminating the need for supplementary equipment. The optofluidic design incorporates a three-layered structure enabling dynamic manipulation of refractive indices within microchannels, leading to tunable focusing characteristics. It is shown that the TPP fabricated optofluidic microlenses exhibit inherent tunable focal lengths, numerical apertures, and spot sizes without reliance on external forces. This work signifies some advancements in optofluidic technology, offering precise and tunable microlenses with potential applications in adaptive imaging and variable focal length microscopy.

A Comparative Study of Laser-Induced Graphene by CO2 Infrared Laser and 355 nm Ultraviolet (UV) Laser.

Laser-induced graphene (LIG) is an emerging technique for producing few-layer graphene or graphene-like material that has recently received increasing attention, due to its unique advantages. Subsequently, a variety of lasers and materials have been used to fabricate LIG using this technique. However, there is a lack of understanding of how different lasers (wavelengths) perform differently in the LIG conversion process. In this study, the produced LIG on polyimide (PI) under a locally water-cooled condition using a 10.6 µm CO2 infrared laser and a 355 nm ultraviolet (UV) laser are compared. The experimental investigations reveal that under the same UV and CO2 laser fluence, the ablation of PI show different results. Surface morphologies with micron-sized and nanometer pores were formed by the UV laser under different laser fluences, whereas micron-sized pores and sheet structure with fewer pores were produced by the CO2 laser. Energy dispersive spectrometry and three-dimensional topography characterization indicate that the photochemical effects were also involved in the LIG conversion with UV laser irradiation. It is also observed through experiments that the photothermal effect contributed to the formation of LIG under both lasers, and the LIG formed on PI substrates by the CO2 laser showed better quality and fewer layers.