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Meadowlark Optics - Wave Plates 6/24 LB 2024

3D Printing Creates New Optical Possibilities

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Additive manufacturing technology enables the fabrication of innovative, multifunctional lenses and components that promise to simplify and shrink conventional optical systems.

HANK HOGAN, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Emerging 3D printing technology is transforming once-impossible designs of optical components into optimized elements that can improve medical instruments, research tools, communications systems, and consumer devices. In 3D printing, an additive process prints an entire optical component one tiny particle at a time, enabling designs that combine multiple functions in a single lens or pre-align a system by creating optics, mounts, and baffles together. The new optical designs can reduce a product’s footprint, improve technical performance, and facilitate commercial scale-up. ...Read full article

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    Published: August 2022
    Glossary
    3d printing
    3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing (AM), is a manufacturing process that builds three-dimensional objects layer by layer from a digital model. This technology allows the creation of complex and customized structures that would be challenging or impossible with traditional manufacturing methods. The process typically involves the following key steps: Digital design: A three-dimensional digital model of the object is created using computer-aided design (CAD) software. This...
    two-photon polymerization
    Two-photon polymerization (TPP) is a technique used in additive manufacturing, specifically in the field of 3D printing. It involves using a focused laser to polymerize a photosensitive material in a precise and controlled manner. The process relies on the nonlinear absorption of photons, where two photons are absorbed simultaneously to initiate a chemical reaction that leads to polymerization. Here is a breakdown of the key components and steps involved: Photosensitive material: The...
    FeaturesOptics3D optics3d printingtwo-photon polymerizationImaging Sensors

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