free-form-light-actuators-fabrication-control-actuation-microscopic

Free-form Light Actuators &#8212; Fabrication and Control of Actuation in Microscopic Scale

Liquid crystalline elastomers (LCEs) are smart materials capable of reversible shape-change in response to external stimuli, and have attracted ...

University of Florence

Optics: light reined in.

The paper describes 3D structures made of liquid-crystalline elastomer (LCE) - rings, woodpiles, etc. - fabricated by two-photon absorption direct laser writing with sub-micrometer resolution while maintaining the desired molecular orientation. These results lay the foundations for creating 3D, micrometer-sized, light-controlled LCE structures.

High-resolution 3D direct laser writing for liquid-crystalline elastomer microstructures.

The first microscopic artificial walker equipped with liquid-crystalline elastomer muscle is reported. The walker is fabricated by direct laser writing, is smaller than any known living terrestrial creatures, and is capable of several autonomous locomotions on different surfaces.

Light-Fueled Microscopic Walkers.

Over the last few years, micro- and nanophotonics have roused a strong interest in the scientific community for their promising impact on the development of novel kinds of solar cells. Certain thin- and ultrathin-film solar cells are made of innovative, often cheap, materials which suffer from a low energy conversion efficiency. Light-trapping mechanisms based on nanophotonics principles are particularly suited to enhance the absorption of electromagnetic waves in these thin media without changing the material composition. In this review, the latest results achieved in this field are reported, with particular attention to the realization of prototypes, spanning from deterministic to disordered photonic architectures, and from dielectric to metallic nanostructures.

Diederik Sybolt Wiersma

European Labratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy

University of Florence

Free-form Light Actuators — Fabrication and Control of Actuation in Microscopic Scale

Diederik Sybolt Wiersma

.css-o250i3{font-size:18px;font-family:Open Sans,sans-serif;line-height:21.6px;}European Labratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy

University of Florence

Free-form Light Actuators — Fabrication and Control of Actuation in Microscopic Scale

European Labratory for Non-Linear Spectroscopy