3D Additive/subtractive laser manufacturing of photonic circuit and sensor micro-systems

光学玻璃已经转变为高科技设备，如透镜、纤维和胶片，深入我们的日常生活。智能触摸手机通过高速光纤网络实现高带宽通信和高效访问信息或连接到所有物联网(物联网，IoT)，从而使我们的日常生活受益。光学传感器提高了公共安全，改善了我们的环境，并确保了资源的安全和高效使用。目前的提议利用最先进的超快激光，当聚焦在这种透明介质中时，获得新形式的激光相互作用物理。这种内部非接触加工有望为处于纳米技术和纳米科学前沿的光学元件的三维(3-D)加法或减法制造提供新的方法。这种科学方法建立在激光脉冲的物理和时间整形的先进工具之上，以预测和对抗在玻璃内部传播时的非线性失真。其目的是控制3D相互作用的形状，并引导物理动力学以有利地改变玻璃的性质。我们的研究团队结合专业知识创造了新的3D玻璃制造工艺，在该工艺上可以将新型光学设备集成到灵活形式的高级望远镜、可穿戴技术、光纤成像工具、护理点诊断和灵活引导的外科导管中。这些方向与五家加拿大合作伙伴联系在一起，它们是ELCAN光学技术公司、泰尔米实验室、Fibertech Optica、ChipCare和LightMatter Interaction，这些公司目前正在使用或有能力围绕超快激光改造其制造能力。这项拟议的研究旨在加速加拿大高科技制造商在全球的领导地位。如果这个项目成功，将给加拿大带来巨大的好处：(1)在3D光学加工方面的学术领导地位；(2)知识产权的产生；(3)新的制造工艺和产品概念；(4)培训具有从大学到加拿大工业环境转换的独特技能和诀窍的研发人员；以及(5)为制造、销售和研发人员创造长期就业机会。

Optical glass has been transforming into high-technology devices, as lenses, fibres and film, that reach deeply into our everyday life. Smart-touch phones benefit our daily lives by enabling high-bandwidth communications and efficient access to information or connection to all things (Internet of Thing, IoT) through high-speed optical fibre networks. Optical sensors increase public safety, improve our environment, and ensure secure and efficient usage of resources. The current proposal exploits state-of-the-art ultrafast lasers to harvest novel forms of laser interaction physics when focused inside such transparent media. The internal non-contact processing promises to unfold new approaches for three-dimensional (3-D) additive or subtractive manufacturing of optical components at the forefront of nanotechnology and nanoscience. The scientific approach builds on advanced tools for physical and temporal shaping of laser pulses to anticipate and counter nonlinear distortions when propagating inside of the glass. The objective is to control the 3D interaction shape and steer the physical dynamics to favourably transform the glass properties. Our research team combines expertise to create new 3D glass manufacturing processes on which novel optical devices can be integrated into flexible forms of advanced telescopes, wearable technologies, fibre imaging tools, point-of-care diagnostics and flexible guided surgical catheters. These directions are connected with five Canadian partners, ELCAN Optical Technologies, Thalmic Labs, FiberTech Optica, ChipCare, and LightMatter Interaction, that currently are using, or are in a position to transform their manufacturing capacity around ultrafast lasers. The proposed research aims to accelerate the leadership of Canadian high technology manufactures globally. There are substantial benefits to Canada if this project is successful: (1) academic leadership in 3D optical processing; (2) generation of intellectual property; (3) new manufacturing processes and product concepts; (4) training of R&D personnel with unique skills and knowhow for translation from a university to a Canadian industrial environment; and (5) long-term job creation for manufacturing, sales and R&D personnel.