Argyro N. Giakoumaki

Bio: Argyro N. Giakoumaki is an academic researcher from Polytechnic University of Milan. The author has contributed to research in topics: Diamond & Photonics. The author has an hindex of 8, co-authored 22 publications receiving 349 citations. Previous affiliations of Argyro N. Giakoumaki include Foundation for Research & Technology – Hellas & University of Crete.

Two-photon polymerization of titanium-containing sol-gel composites for three-dimensional structure fabrication

Abstract: In this work, we have synthesized and characterized a novel, titanium-containing hybrid material that can be structured three-dimensionally using two-photon polymerization. We investigate the effect on the structurability of the increase of titanium isopropoxide and methacrylic acid in this photosensitive composite. We show that while it is possible to make transparent thin films with a titanium isopropoxide molar content as high as 90%, three-dimensional structures can be made only when the titanium isopropoxide molar content is less than 50%. We measure the refractive index of films with different titanium isopropoxide: methacrylic acid concentrations and we show that while the refractive index increases linearly with the titanium isopropoxide, the increase of the methacrylic acid content does not affect the refractive index of the material.

Laser-Inscribed Glass Microfluidic Device for Non-Mixing Flow of Miscible Solvents

Abstract: In recent years, there has been significant research on integrated microfluidic devices. Microfluidics offer an advantageous platform for the parallel laminar flow of adjacent solvents of potential use in modern chemistry and biology. To reach that aim, we worked towards the realization of a buried microfluidic Lab-on-a-Chip which enables the separation of the two components by exploiting the non-mixing properties of laminar flow. To fabricate the aforementioned chip, we employed a femtosecond laser irradiation technique followed by chemical etching. To optimize the configuration of the chip, several geometrical and structural parameters were taken into account. The diffusive mass transfer between the two fluids was estimated and the optimal chip configuration for low diffusion rate of the components was defined.

Two-Photon Polymerization of Hybrid Sol-Gel Materials for Photonics Applications

Abstract: Two-photon polymerization of photosensitive materials has emerged as a very promising technique for the fabrication of photonic crystals and devices. We present our investigations into the structuring by two-photon polymerization of a new class of photosensitive sol-gel composites exhibiting ultra-low shrinkage. We particularly focus on two composites, the first containing a zirconium alkoxide and the second a nonlinear optical chromophore. The three-dimensional photonic crystal structures fabricated using these materials demonstrate high resolution and clear bandstops in the near IR region.

Femtosecond laser written photonic and microfluidic circuits in diamond

Abstract: Diamond has attracted great interest in the quantum optics community thanks to its nitrogen vacancy (NV) center, a naturally occurring impurity that is responsible for the pink coloration of some diamond crystals. The NV spin state with the brighter luminescence yield can be exploited for spin readout, exhibiting millisecond spin coherence times at ambient temperature, comparable to trapped ions. In addition, the energy levels of the ground state triplet of the NV are sensitive to external fields. These properties make NVs attractive as a scalable platform for efficient nanoscale resolution sensing based on electron spins and for quantum information systems. Integrated diamond photonics would be beneficial for optical magnetometry, due to the enhanced interaction provided by waveguides, and for quantum information, by means of the optical linking of NV centers for long-range entanglement. Diamond is also compelling for microfluidic applications due to its outstanding biocompatibility, with sensing functionality provided by NV centers. Furthermore, laser written micrographitic modifications could lead to efficient and compact detectors of high energy radiation in diamond. However, it remains a challenge to fabricate optical waveguides, graphitic lines, NVs and microfluidics in diamond. In this Review, we describe a disruptive laser nanofabrication method based on femtosecond laser writing to realize a 3D micro-nano device toolkit for diamond. Femtosecond laser writing is advantageous compared to other state of the art fabrication technologies due to its versatility in forming diverse micro and nanocomponents in diamond. We describe how high quality buried optical waveguides, low roughness microfluidic channels, and on-demand NVs with excellent spectral properties can be laser formed in single-crystal diamond. We show the first integrated quantum photonic circuit in diamond consisting of an optically addressed NV for quantum information studies. The rapid progress of the field is encouraging but there are several challenges which must be met to realize future quantum technologies in diamond. We elucidate how these hurdles can be overcome using femtosecond laser fabrication, to realize both quantum computing and nanoscale magnetic field sensing devices in synthetic diamond.

Redox multiphoton polymerization for 3D nanofabrication.

Abstract: We report for the first time on the redox multiphoton polymerization of an organic–inorganic composite material, in which one of the components, a vanadium metallo-organic complex, initiates the polymerization. The composite employs multiphoton absorption to self-generate radicals by photoinduced reduction of the metal species from vanadium (V) to vanadium (IV). We exploit this material for the fabrication of fully 3D structures by multiphoton polymerization with 200 nm resolution, employing a femtosecond laser operating at 800 nm, in the absence of a photoinitiator. Nonlinear absorption measurements indicate that the use of an 800 nm laser initiates the photopolymerization due to three-photon absorption of the vanadium alkoxide. The laser power required to induce this three-photon polymerization is comparable to what is required for inducing two-photon polymerization in materials using standard two-photon absorbers, most likely due to the high content of vanadium in the final composite (up to 50% mole).

Polymers for 3D Printing and Customized Additive Manufacturing

Abstract: Additive manufacturing (AM) alias 3D printing translates computer-aided design (CAD) virtual 3D models into physical objects. By digital slicing of CAD, 3D scan, or tomography data, AM builds objects layer by layer without the need for molds or machining. AM enables decentralized fabrication of customized objects on demand by exploiting digital information storage and retrieval via the Internet. The ongoing transition from rapid prototyping to rapid manufacturing prompts new challenges for mechanical engineers and materials scientists alike. Because polymers are by far the most utilized class of materials for AM, this Review focuses on polymer processing and the development of polymers and advanced polymer systems specifically for AM. AM techniques covered include vat photopolymerization (stereolithography), powder bed fusion (SLS), material and binder jetting (inkjet and aerosol 3D printing), sheet lamination (LOM), extrusion (FDM, 3D dispensing, 3D fiber deposition, and 3D plotting), and 3D bioprinting....

Two-photon polymerization initiators for three-dimensional optical data storage and microfabrication

Abstract: Two-photon excitation provides a means of activating chemical or physical processes with high spatial resolution in three dimensions and has made possible the development of three-dimensional fluorescence imaging, optical data storage, and lithographic microfabrication. These applications take advantage of the fact that the two-photon absorption probability depends quadratically on intensity, so under tight-focusing conditions, the absorption is confined at the focus to a volume of order λ3 (where λ is the laser wavelength). Any subsequent process, such as fluorescence or a photoinduced chemical reaction, is also localized in this small volume. Although three-dimensional data storage and microfabrication have been illustrated using two-photon-initiated polymerization of resins incorporating conventional ultraviolet-absorbing initiators, such photopolymer systems exhibit low photosensitivity as the initiators have small two-photon absorption cross-sections (δ). Consequently, this approach requires high laser power, and its widespread use remains impractical. Here we report on a class of π;-conjugated compounds that exhibit large δ (as high as 1, 250 × 10−50 cm4 s per photon) and enhanced two-photon sensitivity relative to ultraviolet initiators. Two-photon excitable resins based on these new initiators have been developed and used to demonstrate a scheme for three-dimensional data storage which permits fluorescent and refractive read-out, and the fabrication of three-dimensional micro-optical and micromechanical structures, including photonic-bandgap-type structures.

Design for additive manufacturing: trends, opportunities, considerations, and constraints

Abstract: The past few decades have seen substantial growth in Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies. However, this growth has mainly been process-driven. The evolution of engineering design to take advantage of the possibilities afforded by AM and to manage the constraints associated with the technology has lagged behind. This paper presents the major opportunities, constraints, and economic considerations for Design for Additive Manufacturing. It explores issues related to design and redesign for direct and indirect AM production. It also highlights key industrial applications, outlines future challenges, and identifies promising directions for research and the exploitation of AM's full potential in industry.

Design for Additive Manufacturing

Abstract: Design for manufacture and assembly (DFM) has typically meant that designers should tailor their designs to eliminate manufacturing difficulties and minimize manufacturing, assembly, and logistics costs. However, the capabilities of additive manufacturing technologies provide an opportunity to rethink DFM to take advantage of the unique capabilities of these technologies. As mentioned in Chap. 16, several companies are now using AM technologies for production manufacturing. For example, Siemens, Phonak, Widex, and the other hearing aid manufacturers use selective laser sintering and stereolithography machines to produce hearing aid shells; Align Technology uses stereolithography to fabricate molds for producing clear dental braces (“aligners”); and Boeing and its suppliers use polymer powder bed fusion (PBF) to produce ducts and similar parts for F-17 fighter jets. For hearing aids and dental aligners, AM machines enable manufacturing of tens to hundreds of thousands of parts, where each part is uniquely customized based upon person-specific geometric data. In the case of aircraft components, AM technology enables low-volume manufacturing, easy integration of design changes and, at least as importantly, piece part reductions to greatly simplify product assembly.