Microactuation and sensing using reversible deformations of laser-written polymeric structures

We investigate reversible deformations of polymeric microstructures fabricated using direct laser writing three-dimensional lithography upon immersion in various solvents. Swelling and shrinkage of sub-micrometre size features are induced by interaction with surrounding solvent and such deformations can be exploited to create larger structures whose size, shape, and other structural parameters depend on the surroundings. We describe diffractive optical elements, micro-mechanical sensors and also hybrid deformable structures, that can be used to implement micro-actuation, micro-sensing, and other functionalities highly sought for micro-optical, micro-mechanical, and micro-fluidic systems.