3D printing of optical components

This edited volume reviews the current state of the art in the additive manufacturing of optical componentry, exploring key principles, materials, processes and applications. A short introduction lets readers familiarize themselves with the fundamental principles of the 3D printing method. This is followed by a chapter on commonly-used and emerging materials for printing of optical components, and subsequent chapters are dedicated to specific topics and case studies. The high potential of additive manufactured optical components is presented based on different manufacturing techniques and accompanied with extensive examples – from nanooptics to large scale optics – and taking research and industrial perspectives. Readers are provided with an extensive overview of the new possibilities brought about by this alternative method for optical components manufacture. Finally, the limitations of the method with respect to manufacturing techniques, materials and optical properties of the generated objects are discussed. With contributions from experts in academia and industry, this work will appeal to a wide readership, from undergraduate students through engineers to researchers interested in modern methods of manufacturing optical components.