Moldless Printing of Silicone Lenses with Embedded Nanostructured Optical Filters. (12th November 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mariani, Stefano; Robbiano, Valentina; Iglio, Rossella; La Mattina, Antonino A.; Nadimi, Pantea; Wang, Joanna; Kim, Byungji; Kumeria, Tushar; Sailor, Michael J.; Barillaro, Giuseppe
• Is Part Of: Advanced functional materials. Volume 30:Number 4(2020)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2019-11-12
• Subjects: cell imaging -- fluorescence microscopy -- nanostructured optical filters -- porous silicon -- silicone micro lenses; Materials -- Periodicals; Chemical vapor deposition -- Periodicals; 620.11
• DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201906836
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1616-301X

Abstract

Abstract: In this work, both light‐shaping and image magnification features are integrated into a single lens element using a moldless procedure that takes advantage of the physical and optical properties of mesoporous silicon (PSi) photonic crystal nanostructures. Casting of a liquid poly(dimethylsiloxane) pre‐polymer solution onto a PSi film generates a droplet with a contact angle that is readily controlled by the silicon nanostructure, and adhesion of the cured polymer to the PSi photonic crystal allows preparation of lightweight (10 mg) freestanding lenses (4.7 mm focal length) with an embedded optical component (e.g., optical rugate filter, resonant cavity, and distributed Bragg reflector). The fabrication process shows excellent reliability (yield 95%) and low cost and the lens is expected to have implications in a wide range of applications. As a proof‐of‐concept, using a single monolithic lens/filter element it is demonstrated: fluorescence imaging of isolated human cancer cells with rejection of the blue excitation light, through a lens that is self‐adhered to a commercial smartphone; shaping of the emission spectrum of a white light emitting diode to tune the color from red through blue; and selection of a narrow wavelength band (bandwidth 5 nm) from a fluorescent molecular probe. Abstract : Monolithic silicone lenses containing integral optical filters are prepared by casting a liquid silicone pre‐polymer solution onto a porous silicon photonic crystal, whose surface nanostructure is engineered to form a nearly hemispherical lens. The self‐adherent lenses can convert a smartphone camera into a high‐fidelity fluorescence microscope without complicated fixturing.