Lenses in plastic, it’s fantastic: Characterisation and Application of Transparent 3D Printed Lenses

Session

Poster Session Three

Authors

Dr Liam Rooney (3), Mr Jay Christopher (1), Mr Benjamin Watson (2), Mr Yash Kumar (2), Dr William B. Amos (3), Dr Ralf Bauer (1), Prof. Gail McConnell (3)

Affiliations

1. Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Strathclyde
2. Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde
3. Strathclyde Institute for Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde

Keywords

Open microscopy, additive manufacturing, 3D printing, optical engineering, optical imaging

Abstract text

High-quality glass bulk optics are commonplace in the design of optical instrumentation. However, research-grade glass lenses are often costly, delicate and, depending on the prescription, can involve intricate and lengthy manufacturing. We present 3D printing as a viable alternative for the manufacture of glass-like optical elements. We demonstrate a method to print custom lens designs using an off-the-shelf consumer-grade 3D printer and consumables. Lenses were printed using a Digital Light Processing-style 3D printer with transparent photopolymerising resins. Printed surfaces were post-processed using an optimised spin coating method, resulting in a thin layer of transparent resin that mitigated micron-scale surface imperfections and layering effects from the printing process, and improved optical transmission and performance. We measured the optical performance of 3D printed lenses using classic optical methods and we profiled the curvature using a high-resolution interference reflection microscopy method. The prescription and curvature of 3D printed lenses was commensurate with their glass counterparts. We also performed optical throughput measurements and we observed that the optical loss of 3D printed optics was comparable to that of commercial N-BK7 glass across the visible spectrum. Our findings showed that 3D printed lenses are a viable substitute for commercial glass lenses, with the advantage of being relatively low-cost, accessible, and suitable for use in optical instruments.