Dynamic Multifocus Laser Writing with Acousto-Optofluidics

Abstract

Laser writing of materials is normally performed by the sequential scanning of a single focused beam across a sample. This process is time-consuming and it can severely limit the throughput of laser systems in key applications such as surgery, microelectronics, or manufacturing. A parallelization strategy based on ultrasound waves in a liquid to diffract light into multiple beamlets is reported. Adjusting amplitude, frequency, or phase of ultrasound allows tunable multifocus distributions with sub-microsecond control. When combined with sample translation, the dynamic splitting of light leads to high-throughput laser processing, as demonstrated by locally modifying the morphological and wettability properties of metals, polymers, and ceramics. The results illustrate how acousto-optofluidic systems are universal tools for fast multifocus generation, with potential impact in fields such as imaging or optical trapping.