Open AccessTwo-photon polymerization with variable repetition rate bursts of femtosecond laser pulses
Author(s) -
Tommaso Baldacchini,
Scott Snider,
R. Zadoyan
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
optics express
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.394
H-Index - 271
ISSN - 1094-4087
DOI - 10.1364/oe.20.029890
Subject(s) - femtosecond , fluence , materials science , optics , laser , polymerization , photon , two photon excitation microscopy , repetition (rhetorical device) , optoelectronics , polymer , physics , composite material , fluorescence , linguistics , philosophy
We describe fabrication of microstructures by two-photon polymerization using bursts of femtosecond laser pulses. With the aid of an acousto-optic modulator driven by a function generator, two-photon polymerization is performed at variable burst repetition rates. We investigate how the time between the bursts of laser pulses influences the ultimate dimensions of lines written in a photosensitive resin. We observe that when using the same laser fluence, polymer lines fabricated at different burst repetition rates have different dimensions. In particular, the widths of two-photon polymerized lines become smaller with decreasing burst repetition rates. Based on the thermal properties of the resin and experimental writing conditions, we attribute this effect to localized heat accumulation.