This paper describes how two-photon polymerization was used to generate biomimetic nanostructures with angle-insensitive coloration inspired by the blue butterflies of Morpho. Less angle dependence was achieved by engineering the structures with a certain degree of disorder, which delimited them from classical photonic crystals. Variations in the processing parameters enabled the color hue to be controlled. In this context, blue, green, yellow, and brown structures were demonstrated. Reflection spectra of the structures were simulated and studied experimentally in a broad range of incident angles. Additionally, a molding technique was performed as a potential scale-up strategy. The application of such biomimetic structures is discussed.
Two-photon polymerization with diode lasers emitting ultrashort pulses with high repetition rate
(2020)
In this Letter, we investigate the resolution of two-photon polymerization (2PP) with an amplified mode-locked external cavity diode laser with adjustable pulse length and a high repetition rate. The experimental results are analyzed with a newly developed 2PP model. Even with low pulse peak intensity, the produced structural dimensions are comparable to those generated by traditional 2PP laser sources. Thus, we show that a compact monolithic picosecond laser diode without amplification and with a repetition rate in the GHz regime can also be applied for 2PP. These results show the high application potential of compact mode-locked diode lasers for low-cost and compact 2PP systems.