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We characterize three commercial resins suitable for three-dimensional two-photon printing of mm3volume micro-optical components for visible light –IP-S, IP-n162, and IP-Visio– under different print modes and post-processing conditions. Due to the combination of cured resin absorption and bulk scattering, we find a maximum total printed thickness of 4 mm (or greater) for at least 50% transmittance of red light, up to 2 mm for green light, and large maximum thickness variation for blue light (0.1 to 1 mm).
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Optical transmittance of 3D printing materials
The increasing prevalence of three-dimensional (3D) printing of optical housings and mounts necessitates a better understanding of the optical properties of printing materials. This paper describes a method for using multithickness samples of 3D printing materials to measure transmittance spectra at wavelengths from 400 to 2400 nm [visible to short-wave infrared (IR)]. In this method, 3D samples with material thicknesses of 1, 2, 3, and 4 mm were positioned in front of a uniform light source with a spectrometer probe on the opposing side to measure the light transmittance. Transmission depended primarily on the thickness and color of the sample, and multiple scattering prevented the use of a simple exponential model to relate transmittance, extinction, and thickness. A Solidworks file and a 3D printer file are included with the paper to enable measurements of additional materials with the same method.
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- PAR ID:
- 10280531
- Publisher / Repository:
- Optical Society of America
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Applied Optics
- Volume:
- 60
- Issue:
- 22
- ISSN:
- 1559-128X; APOPAI
- Format(s):
- Medium: X Size: Article No. 6573
- Size(s):
- Article No. 6573
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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