Related papers: A Step-by-Step Guide to 3D Print Motorized Rotatio…
We describe the construction of a motorized optical rotation mount with a 40 mm clear aperture. The device is used to remotely control the power of large diameter laser beams for a magneto-optical trap (MOT). A piezo-electric ultrasonic…
We demonstrate a simple, flexible and cost-effective system to automatize most of the kinematic mounts available nowadays on the market. It combines 3D printed components, an Arduino board, stepper motors, and simple electronics. The system…
We present a simple motorised rotation mount for a half-wave plate that can be used to rapidly change the polarization of light. We use the device to switch a high power laser beam between different optical dipole traps in an ultracold atom…
We describe a flexible, simple to build, low-cost, and computer-controlled optical mirror actuator system we developed for undergraduate research laboratories. Geared motors for hobby robotics are controlled by an Arduino microcontroller…
The advent of 3D printing has revolutionized many industries and has had similar improvements for soft robots. However, many challenges persist for these functional devices. Magnetic soft robots require the addition of magnetic particles…
In this paper we are exploring the possibilities of 3D printing in the fabrication of mirrors for astronomy. Taking the advantages of 3D printing to solve the existing problems caused by traditional manufacturing, two proof-of-concept…
3D printing allows rapid fabrication of complex objects from digital designs. One 3D-printing process, direct laser writing, polymerises a light-sensitive material by steering a focused laser beam through the shape of the object to be…
Open source hardware has the potential to revolutionise the way we build scientific instruments; with the advent of readily-available 3D printers, mechanical designs can now be shared, improved and replicated faster and more easily than…
3D printing, also called additive manufacturing, offers a new vision for optical fabrication in term of achievable optical quality and reduction of weight and cost. In this paper we describe two different ways to use this technique in the…
We explore the potential of 3D metal printing to realize complex conductive terahertz devices. Factors impacting performance such as printing resolution, surface roughness, oxidation, and material loss are investigated via analytical,…
Optical imaging technologies are central to discovery in the life and physical sciences, yet their impact depends on how readily they can be built, adapted, and sustained across laboratories. Digital fabrication, including desktop 3D…
Photonic components responsive to external optical stimuli are attracting increasing interest, because their properties can be manipulated by light with fast switching times, high spatial definition, and potentially remote control. These…
We propose single-step additive fabrication of graded-index optical elements by introducing the light exposure as the additional dimension to three-dimensional (3D) laser writing, hence (3+1)D writing. We use a commercial printer and…
Nowadays is very common to find headlines in the media where it is stated that 3D printing is a technology called to change our lives in the near future. For many authors, we are living in times of a third industrial revolution. Howerver,…
On-chip optical trapping systems allow for high scalability and lower the barrier to access. Systems capable of trapping multiple particles typically come with high cost and complexity. Here we present a technique for making parabolic…
The alignment of optical systems is a critical step in their manufacture. Alignment normally requires considerable knowledge and expertise of skilled operators. The automation of such processes has several potential advantages, but requires…
The miniaturization of mechanical mechanisms is crucial to enable the development of compact, high-performance micromachines. However, the downscaling actuation of conventional gears and micromotors has remained limited by the inherent…
As 3D printers become more widely available, researchers are able to rapidly produce components that may have previously taken weeks to have machined. The resulting plastic components, having high surface roughness, are often not suitable…
Manipulation of light-induced magnetization has become a fundamentally hot topic with a potentially high impact for atom trapping, confocal and magnetic resonance microscopy, and data storage. The control of the magnetization orientation…
Graded-index optical elements are capable of shaping light precisely and in very specific ways. While classical freeform optics uses only a two-dimensional domain such as the surface of a lens, recent technological advances in laser…