Transcript AGILE: Axially Graded Index Lens fabrication proposal Mentor: Tom Carver Flexible Clean Room, Nano Building Nina Vaidya.

AGILE: Axially Graded Index
Lens fabrication proposal
Mentor: Tom Carver
Flexible Clean Room, Nano Building
Nina Vaidya
Aims
• Characterize refractive index of different
laminated stacks of optical materials
• Analyze the surface interactions between
layers
• Summarize and fine tune a process to
make graded index optical lens material
Concept and Simulation
FRED Results
Input aperture
Rays reflecting and
bending downward
RI increases
axially from 1 to
3.5
Reflective side
walls
Light concentrated
at the base
Output aperture
The AGILE system
Passive AGILE roof top system
Fun Facts: AGILE’s similarity to
worm hole!
AGILE is curving light just like in a worm hole and the
hour glass shape can even be used as an invisibility
cloak
Fabrication Options
Make graded refractive index material by
– gravity settling of nano-particles suspended in a solution
– varying charged particle density in matrix material by application of
electric field
– Segregation by hydrophilic/hydrophobic interaction between surfaceparticles
– co-segregation of nano-particles and porosity in solution to achieve a
higher Refractive Index change
– depositing layers of increasing refractive index (as part of ee412)
Fabrication Plan
• The next step is to fabricate AGILE arrays for
visible light frequencies
• Using Aluminium arrays and filling them with
layers of different refractive index
polymers/optical adhesives/glass slab and/or
transparent nano particles in polymer solutions,
in a more controlled environment of the flexible
clean room
• Thickness gauge, vacuum oven, microscope,
solvent benches will need to be accessed, and
flexible clean room is ideal
AGILE Array Fabrication – First
Structures
• Single sided AGILE with high index
glass at the end
• Advantages:
– Layered structure of different Photopolymers and a high index glassdetector
at the end
– Another high index glass to
collect light power and cap the
Agiles when we fill them with
polymers
High index
– Photo detector to measure the glass piece
flint glass
output power
IR=1.8
– N^2 ratio of 2.37
Polymer layers
of ice 1.3,
Norland Optical
Adhesive 1.38,
PDMS 1.4,
polyester resin
1.48, epoxy 1.55
High index glass slab to have easy access to
photo detector (Arsenic Trisulfide glass IR=2.0)
(For comparison diamond is 2.4 and cubic
zirconia is 2.2)
Back to back structure with more
aggressive area ratio: structure 2
So the stencil is in
Aluminium plate with
conical holes which
have larger diameter
of 7mm and smaller
of 4mm
4mm
20mm
7mm
Next Steps and Material List
•
The next step is to have co-segregation of particles in the same AGILE. To have nano
porosity for the low end of the refractive index part and use nano particles like silicon,
cubic zirconia, titania for the high end of the AGILE. This can be make in two sections
and then combined. Also include surface treatment to make the low refractive Index
part of the AGILE robust to environment.
• Budget: about $1000
1) Polymers of different refractive indices $200
2) micro-pipette for viscous liquids
http://pipette.com/public/productdetails.aspx?pid=19454 $200 +
pipette disposable capillaries $60
3) Al polishing kit $80
4) High index adhesives $200
5) reamer for making Al array $200
6) Micro machining Al array
7) Visible light detector
Time Table
Week
Tasks
Deadline
Week 4 – 11 April
Plan for ee412 fabrication, buy materials
and supplies
11th April plan and
buy deadline
Week 12 – 17 April
Polish Al array and fill with polymers
Week 18 – 24 April
Test thin films individual refractive indices
Week 25 – 30 April
Test polymer array (visible wavelength
AGILE)
Week 2 – 8 May
Make back to back Al arrays and single
array with more aggressive area ratio
Week 9 – 15 May
Polish Al arrays and fill with polymers and
high index glass slab
Week 16 – 22 May
Experiment with surface texturing for
increasing output power and test
Week 23 – 29 May
Finish experiments, refine results,
characterize process for think film
deposition, plan next steps
31st May
Final presentation
30th April have
AGILE test
readings
2nd phase test
results deadline