Two-Photon Polymerization Lithography for Optics and Photonics: Fundamentals, Materials, Technologies, and Applications

The rapid development of additive manufacturing has fueled a revolution in various research fields and industrial applications. Among the myriad of advanced 3D printing techniques, two-photon polymerization lithography (TPL) uniquely offers a significant advantage in nanoscale print resolution, and has been widely employed in diverse fields, for example, life sciences, materials sciences, mechanics, and microfluidics. More recently, by virtue of the optical transparency of most of the resins used, TPL is finding new applications in optics and photonics, with nanometer to millimeter feature dimensions. It enables the minimization of optical elements and systems, and exploration of light-matter interactions with new degrees of freedom, never possible before. To review the recent progress in the TPL related optical research, it starts with the fundamentals of TPL and material formulation, then discusses novel fabrication methods, and a wide range of optical applications. These applications notably include diffractive, topological, quantum, and color optics. With a panoramic view of the development, it is concluded with insights and perspectives of the future development of TPL and related potential optical applications.

Automated summary

The rapid development of additive manufacturing, especially in two-photon polymerization lithography (TPL), has revolutionized various research fields and industrial applications. TPL offers high nanoscale print resolution and has been widely used in diverse areas such as life sciences, materials sciences, mechanics, and microfluidics. With the optical transparency of the resins used, TPL is finding new applications in optics and photonics, enabling the exploration of light-matter interactions with unprecedented degrees of freedom. This review article discusses the fundamentals, fabrication methods, and a wide range of optical applications of TPL, including diffractive, topological, quantum, and color optics, and concludes with insights and perspectives on the future development of TPL and its potential optical applications.