Two-photon laser precision microfabrication and its applications to micro-nano devices and systems

Two-photon absorption (TPA) provides the ability to confine photochemical and physical reactions to the order of laser wavelength in three dimensions. For applying TPA to laser precision microfabrication, we proposed a twophoton photopolymerization technique, by which photonic crystals and various micromachines with neardiffraction-limit features have been produced. Here we show that the diffraction limit was exceeded by utilizing nonlinear laser-matter interaction processes, and spatial resolutions far smaller than the diffraction limit were achieved. The super resolution, combined with other technologies newly developed by us including threedimensional imaging of voxels, rapid surface profile scanning, device functionalization and its mechanical driving with a laser trapping force, and dye-doping polymerization for three-dimensional microdiagnosis, makes the technique quite compelling for nanophotonic and optical microelectromechanical (MEMS) applications.