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The growing interest in 3D printing of silica glass has spurred substantial research efforts. The prior work utilizing a liquid silica resin (LSR) demonstrated high printing accuracy and resolution. However, the resin's sensitivity to moisture posed limitations, restricting the printing environment. On the other hand, polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)‐based materials offer excellent water stability and sinterless features. Yet, they suffer from relatively high shrinkage due to the presence of additional organic monomers. In this study, a polymeric silsesquioxane (PSQ) resin is presented with reduced shrinkage, enhanced moisture stability, and the retention of sinterless features, providing a promising solution for achieving high‐resolution 3D printing of glass objects. Leveraging the two‐photon polymerization (2PP) method, nanostructures are realized with feature sizes below 80 nm. Moreover, the tunability of the refractive index is demonstrated by incorporating zirconium moieties into the resin, facilitating the fabrication of glass micro‐optics with varying refractive indices. Importantly, the self‐welding capability observed between two individual components provides a flexible approach for producing micro‐optics with multiple components, each possessing distinct refractive indices. This research represents a significant advancement in the field of advanced glass manufacturing, paving the way for future applications in micro‐ and nano‐scale glass objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional infrared transparent materials, including inorganic ceramic, glass, and sulfur-rich organic materials, are usually processed through thermal or mechanical progress. Here, we report a photo-curable liquid material based on a specially designed thiol-ene strategy, where the multithiols and divinyl oligomers were designed to contain only C, H, and S atoms. This approach ensures transparency in a wide range spectrum from visible light to mid-wave infrared (MWIR), and to long-wave infrared (LWIR). The refractive index, thermal properties, and mechanical properties of samples prepared by this thiol-ene resin were characterized. Objects transparent to LWIR and MWIR were fabricated by molding and two-photon 3D printing techniques. We demonstrated the potential of our material in a range of applications, including the fabrication of IR optics with high imaging resolution and the construction of micro-reactors for temperature monitoring. This UV-curable thiol-ene system provides a fast and convenient alternative for the fabrication of thin IR transparent objects. Processing of conventional infrared-transparent materials limits their applicability. The authors demonstrate 3D printing of thiol-ene optical components with mid- and long-wave infrared transparency with applications such as reaction temperature monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

3D printing of optics has gained significant attention in optical industry, but most of the research has been focused on organic polymers. In spite of recent progress in 3D printing glass, 3D printing of precision glass optics for imaging applications still faces challenges from shrinkage during printing and thermal processing, and from inadequate surface shape and quality to meet the requirements for imaging applications. This paper reports a new liquid silica resin (LSR) with higher curing speed, better mechanical properties, lower sintering temperature, and reduced shrinkage, as well as the printing process for high‐precision glass optics for imaging applications. It is demonstrated that the proposed material and printing process can print almost all types of optical surfaces, including flat, spherical, aspherical, freeform, and discontinuous surfaces, with accurate surface shape and high surface quality for imaging applications. It is also demonstrated that the proposed method can print complex optical systems with multiple optical elements, completely removing the time‐consuming and error‐prone alignment process. Most importantly, the proposed printing method is able to print optical systems with active moving elements, significantly improving system flexibility and functionality. The printing method will enable the much‐needed transformational manufacturing of complex freeform glass optics that are currently inaccessible with conventional processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]