3D printed optics

With its strength to create new and custom designs, additive manufacturing offers a high degree of potential in optics. My research on 3D printed optics are focused on developing refractive and reflective optical components to achieve customized beam distributions. 

3D Printing Lenses

I am using different 3D printing methods such as Vat Polymerization and Poly Jetting to compare the optical performances of different 3D printing technologies 

3D-printable freeform internal cavity lens design strategy for illumination applications

This study is focused on developing a 3D printable lens with planar exterior surfaces and internal cavity structures for beam shaping. The study investigated the feasibility of using internal cavity structures with refractive spherical arrays to achieve prescribed illuminance distribution.

I extended this study as my Ph.D. thesis work, to design a novel multiple internal freeform lens design method based on the light energy mapping design method. This involves mathematical modeling based on geometrical optics, Python programming, 3D modeling, and 3D printing optics.

Publications


Achieving multiple beam patterns using 3-D printable lens by altering the positioning of LEDs

Where multiple beam distributions are required in an application, instead of making individual lenses catering to different beam shapes, it would be beneficial to create a single optic that can be used with different LED source positioning. Hence, this study proposes a method of positioning LEDs in a fixture to achieve multiple beam patterns using a fixed lens design. Through ray-tracing analysis, we showed that different beam distributions could be obtained by changing the LED position in a refractive lens array.

Publications


Optimizing 3D printable refractive spherical arrays for application-specific custom lenses

During this study, we developed a 3D printable refractive lens structure that collects luminous flux from the LED light source and redirects it into the spherical lens array. Subsequently, the spherical refractive array structures are designed in the lens to redirect the accumulated luminous flux onto the target plane to increase the application efficacy and uniformity.

Publications


3D Printed Reflectors

Designed, simulated, and conducted tests on 3D printed reflective optical systems and assess their performances.

Optical Metrology Experience

Design, build, and test custom metrology equipment and experience in photometry, spectroscopy, and radiant imaging data analysis.