Low-Cost 3D-Printed Electromagnetically Driven Large-Area 1-DOF Optical Scanners

Cost-effective 3D-printed rotatable reflectors for two-dimensional beam steering

In this paper, we have developed a 2D optical scanning module comprising cascaded 3D-printed one-axis rotating mirrors with large areas (30×30m m 2 for the X-direction scan and 60×25m m 2 for the Y-direction scan). Each mirror device contains a square or rectangular silicon substrate coated with aluminum, serving as the mirror. A 3D-printed structure, including the mirror frame (with four embedded mini permanent magnets on the backside), torsion springs, and base, is combined with the mirror; two electromagnets are situated under the mirror as the actuation mechanism. We apply DC voltage to the electromagnets to create magnetic force. The electromagnets can interact with the permanent magnets to make the mirror rotate. The X scan of the 2D scanning module can achieve a static optical scan angle of ∼11.8deg at the -X corners, and the corresponding Y-scan angle is ∼4.5deg, both with 12 VDC. Moreover, we have observed a fan-shaped distortion, a phenomenon not thoroughly studied previously for combining two single-axis scan mirrors. Therefore, we also perform a simulation to establish and demonstrate a correlation between the simulation prediction and experimental results. The 2D scanning module can be a low-cost alternative to the expensive conventional galvanometer scanners, and it can be used to upgrade a rangefinder to a simplified LiDAR.

Electromagnetically actuated 3D-printed tunable optical slit device

This paper presents the design, manufacturing, and characterization of a three-dimensional (3D)-printed and electromagnetically actuated adjustable optical slit structure. The device comprises magnet-attached slits connected to the main frame via two springs controlled by external coils. To analyze the forces acting on the springs and simulate the mechanical behavior of the device, we developed both analytical and finite-element models. After fabricating the device using fused deposition, we conducted a series of tests to evaluate its performance. These tests included (1) analyzing the opacity of the slit blade as a function of its thickness, (2) measuring the temperature increase resulting from the power applied to the coils to determine the operable range of the structure, and (3) evaluating the hysteresis, repeatability, and resolution (minimum step) of the device. The experimental works were crucial to assessing the device's practicality and optimizing its performance for specific applications, which reveals a maximum slit width of ∼450µm, with ∼6.4µm step size within this study. Overall, our developed slit device has the potential to be useful in various optics-related laboratories due to its compatibility with conventional 1-inch (25.4 mm) diameter optomechanical mounts, compact form, low power consumption, and rapid prototyping capability with hybrid materials in a cost-friendly fashion, owing to the 3D-printing technology. We discuss an application where the adjustable slit is employed in a combined laser-scanning microscope and a spectrometer, highlighting its versatility and potential for the future.