Swedish researchers have created 3D printed silica glass micro-optics on optical fibers that improve internet speeds and connections. More stable and accurate, this technique could revolutionize remote sensing, pharmaceuticals and photonics.

In a first, Swedish researchers have successfully 3D-printed silica glass micro-optics directly onto the ends of optical fibers in areas as small as the cross-section of a human hair. This breakthrough could lead to faster internet speeds and improved connectivity, as well as the development of smaller sensors and more compact imaging systems.

In a daily report ACS Nano Researchers at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm say that the integration of optical devices made of silica glass with optical fibers enables numerous innovations, including more sensitive remote sensors for the environment and health.

The printing technologies they report could also be valuable in pharmaceutical and chemical production.

Advances in printing technology

KTH Professor Christine Gilfason says the method overcomes a long-standing limitation in structuring optical fiber ends using silica glass, which she says requires high-temperature treatment that compromises the integrity of the fiber’s temperature-sensitive coatings. Unlike other methods, the process starts with a carbon-free base material. This means that high temperatures are not required to expel the carbon to make the glass structure transparent.

The researchers printed a sensor made of silicate glass, which proved to be more stable than a standard plastic sensor after several measurements, said Lee-Lung Lai, lead author of the study.

“We demonstrated a glass refractive index sensor placed at the tip of the fiber, which allowed us to measure the concentration of organic solvents. This measurement is difficult for polymer-based sensors due to the corrosive activity of solvents,” says Lai.

“These structures are so small that you can place 1,000 of them on the surface of a grain of sand, which is roughly equivalent to the size of sensors used today,” says Po-Han Huang, a co-author of the study.

The researchers also demonstrated a technique for printing nanocages, which are ultrafine patterns etched onto surfaces at the nanometer scale. They are used to precisely control light and have potential applications in quantum communications.

Gilfason says the ability to 3D print arbitrary glass structures directly from the end of the fiber opens new frontiers in photonics. “Bridging the gap between 3D printing and photonics, the implications of this research are far-reaching, with possible applications in microfluidic devices, MEMS accelerometers, and fiber-integrated quantum emitters,” he says.