Review
Laser-induced forward-transfer with light possessing orbital angular momentum

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochemrev.2022.100535Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Laser induced forward transfer with light possessing orbital and spin angular momentum.

  • Two-dimensional direct print of considerably high-viscosity liquids.

  • Printed photonic structures, such as close-packed photonics rings with structural color.

  • Novel technologies with the use of optical orbital and spin angular momentum.

Abstract

Helical light fields may carry both orbital angular and spin angular momentum which is respectively associated with their helical wavefronts (optical vortices) and rotating transverse electric fields. Interestingly, these helical light fields interact with materials and the orbital angular momentum of these fields can physically twist a range of materials, including metals, semiconductors, polymers, and liquids. With the aid of spin angular momentum, these fields can also form a range of helical structures. This light-matter interaction based on transfer of angular momentum has the potential to revolutionize industrial processes and enable technologies, such as advanced non-contact and nozzle-free printing. In this review paper, we focus on this printing technique, a process which we herein refer to as optical vortex laser induced forward transfer, and we show how it can be used for the production of next generation printed photonics/electronics/spintronics devices. Herein we review the interactions between the angular momentum of light and materials, and we discuss the ways in which optical vortices can be used to produce a variety of exotic structures. We also discuss the current state-of-the art of laser-induced forward-transfer technologies and detail some of the most novel devices, which have been fabricated using this optical vortex laser induced forward transfer, including hexagonal close-packed photonic-rings and plasmonic nanocores.

Keywords

Singular optics
Optical vortices
Orbital angular momentum
Spin angular momentum
Laser materials processing
Chiral structured materials
Azopolymers

Cited by (0)

Image 1
Omatsu received his Ph.D. degree in applied physics from the University of Tokyo, in 1992, and he was appointed as a Professor in Chiba University, in 2007. He has been pioneering helical nanostructures fabrication by optical vortices illumination. He is the founding Editor-in-Chief, Optics Continuum, Optica Publishing. Also, he is serving as a Visiting Professor of Xinjiang Normal University, Ajou University, and Macquarie University. He was awarded a prize for Science and Technology by the Minister of Education in 2016. He was also elected as Optica Fellow, SPIE Fellow and JSAP Fellow.

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Katsuhiko Miyamoto is an Associate Professor at Chiba University. He received Ph.D. from Tohoku Gakuin University in 2004. His research interests include structured light, terahertz photonics, and nonlinear optics. He is a senior member of OPTICA in 2021, and a member of JSAP, LSJ, and OSJ.

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Ken-ichi Yuyama is a Lecturer at Osaka City University. He received Ph.D. from Nara Institute of Science and Technology in 2011. His research interests include optical tweezers, laser ablation, micro-spectroscopy, and fluorescent materials. He is a member of JPA, CSJ, JSAP, and JACG.

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Keisaku Yamane is an Associate Professor at Hokkaido University. He received Ph.D. from Kyoto University in 2005. His research interests include structured light, ultrafast optics, and nonlinear optics. He is a member of OPTICA, JSAP, and LSJ.

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Ryuji Morita received a Ph.D. degree in applied physics in 1990 from the University of Tokyo, Japan. From 1990 to 1992, he worked as a visiting scientist in Centre National d'Études des Télécommunications (France). In 1992, he joined Hokkaido University (Japan), being currently a full professor. From 2017 to 2019, he was also an invited professor of École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay (France). His research interests include nonlinear optics, ultrafast spectroscopy and ultrafast topological optics. He received awards including a Japan Society of Applied Physics (JSAP) outstanding paper award and was recognized as a Fellow of the JSAP.