Optical Vortices Revolutionize Next-Generation Printing

Scientists at Osaka Metropolitan University have developed an innovative optical vortex laser-based technique for precision printing, allowing for the precise placement of minuscule droplets with micrometer-scale accuracy. By using a special laser beam known as an optical vortex, the team achieved stable printing of high-viscosity liquids, enabling the fabrication of microdroplet laser arrays and the micropatterning of conductive nanoinks and bioinks for next-generation printed photonic or electronic devices. This breakthrough could lead to cost- and time-saving microprinting technologies.