Researchers at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology have developed an innovative and cost-effective method for crafting freeform optical components using curable liquid polymers. This approach allows for the rapid prototyping of customized optics for various applications, ranging from eyewear to augmented reality, and even advanced medical imaging and astronomy. Traditional fabrication of freeform optics is typically complex and expensive; however, the new technique creates surfaces with sub-nanometer roughness in a matter of minutes, using basic lab equipment, making it highly accessible, even in low-resource environments.
The team overcame challenges posed by gravity, which affects larger components by submerging the liquid polymer in another liquid, allowing surface tension to dominate. They successfully produced optical components of various shapes, including toroids and trefoils, up to 200 mm in size, achieving surface qualities comparable to the best existing polishing techniques. The research aims to automate the fabrication process for precision and repeatability while exploring different optical polymers for improved performance. This development could significantly reduce the costs and time associated with designing complex lenses, potentially benefiting the 2.5 billion individuals lacking access to corrective eyewear.
