A 3D printed general-purpose on-chip micromirror system

This study presents the design, fabrication, and testing of a general-purpose micromirror system, aimed at directing light from an optical waveguide to specific spatial locations at controlled angles and beam sizes. The versatility of this system renders it applicable in various fields, such as communication, spectroscopy, optical tweezer, and LIDAR. A hybrid design approach, combining wave optics and geometric optics, was employed to determine the optimal mirror shape and position. To validate this design methodology, an optical chip is designed, which served as a testbed for assessing the micromirror system's performance. The micromirrors were fabricated using 3D printing technology (Nanoscribe) and subsequently coated with an aluminum layer. The study also investigates the influence of varying deposition conditions on the aluminum layer's quality and the overall performance of the micromirrors.