Generation of photonic nanojets using 3D microstructures printed by two-photon polymerization

This work presents the use of 3D printing by two-photon polymerization (2PP) to fabricate photonic nanojet (PNJ)-generating structures from a hybrid material developed in-house. Since 2PP enables true 3D processing of photoresists at the microscale with sub-100 nm resolution, it is possible to print highly complex structures without any limitation in their geometry. Thus, 2PP paves the way to investigate novel PNJ-generating structural designs and combine classic ones with standard focusing elements, respectively. Simultaneously, 2PP provides a high potential for developing real-world products for PNJ applications due to its simple sample processing that does not require any vacuum atmosphere, harsh chemicals, and cleanroom environment. In this way, novel PNJ-generating structures can be easily integrated into macroscopic supporting frames. Those frames could then be used for super-resolution imaging of samples.