Tiny 3-D structures nanoimprinted on the end of an optical fiber

(Phys.org)—Scientists have developed a method for imprinting tiny yet complex 3-D structures on the tip of an optical fiber, whose 125-µm diameter is roughly the thickness of a human hair. The 3-D optical structures can manipulate the light's properties, such as its phase and wavefront, which enables a variety of integrated optics applications including laser machining, lab-on-a-fiber, and biomedical sensors. One of the biggest advantages of the new nanoimprinting method is that it is much less expensive than previous fabrication methods, opening the doors to more widespread use.