Aligned 2-Photon Lithography (A2PL®) for photonics packaging

Optoelectronic components and modules based on photonic integrated circuits (PICs) are on the rise. They are increasingly incorporated into devices for medical sensing, LiDAR systems or quantum computing. This requires industrial solutions for an efficient photonics packaging, which is associated with technical challenges.
The concept of Free Space Microoptical Coupling (FSMOC), realized with 3D-printed microoptical elements precisely 3D-aligned on the facet of optical fibers or on photonic chips, provides a robust and efficient solution for coupling light into photonic chips or to other fiber arrays. These high-precision microoptics either focus or collimate the exceeding light beam of optical fibers or photonic chips onto the facet of photonic chips, enabling mode field conversions or light coupling over distances of up to millimeters.

The A2PL technology in the high-performance 3D printer Quantum X align is designed for manufacturing freeform microoptics automatically aligned on predefined positions for FSMOC applications. The printer’s automatic 3D fiber core detection system and automatic tilt correction guarantee alignment with nanoprecision and highest shape accuracy when printing onto photonic chips, single cleaved fibers or v-groove fiber arrays. 3D-printed microoptics have several advantages over traditional lensed or tapered fibers. Complete control over design parameters of freeform microlenses enables aspheric and asymmetric designs to correct for various aberrations and tailor the beam profile to match almost any coupling application.