Optical damage thresholds of microstructures made by laser three-dimensional nanolithography

Direct laser writing based on non-linear three-dimensional nanolithography (also known as 3D laser lithography, 3DLL) is a powerful technology to manufacture polymeric micro-optical components. However, practical applications of these elements are limited due to the lack of knowledge about their optical resilience and durability. In this Letter, we employ 3DLL for the fabrication of bulk (i.e., fully filled) and woodpile structures out of different photopolymers. We then characterize them using the S-on-1 laser-induced damage threshold (LIDT) measurements. In this way, quantitative data of LIDT values can be collected. Furthermore, this method permits to gather damage morphologies. The results presented demonstrate that LIDT values depend on the material and the geometry of the structure. Bulk non-photosensitized hybrid organic/inorganic photopolymer SZ2080 structures are found to be the most resilient with a damage threshold being $169\pm 15\,\,{\rm mJ}/{{\rm cm}^2}$169±15mJ/cm2.