Miniature spectrometer offers novel endoscopes and cameras
10 Feb 2021
University of Stuttgart uses 3D printing to create refractive, diffractive and filtering elements.
The small stuff: miniature device
Advances in direct laser writing and 3D printing have helped the field of micro-optics achieve striking breakthroughs in tiny optical devices, driven by miniaturization philosophies dating back many years.
A project at the University of Stuttgart's Institute of Applied Optics (ITO) has now used 3D printing to manufacture a miniature spectrometer, fabricated via two-photon laser writing and inkjet deposition.
As described in Light: Advanced Manufacturing the optical system of the assembled device measures 100 x 100 x 300 microns, and features a wavelength range of 200 nanometers in the visible band from 490 to 690 nanometers.