Complex micromachines produced and driven by light

TLDR

The study introduces a method to build and manipulate microscopic light‑driven rotors using laser tweezers. The method employs laser‑induced two‑photon polymerization of light‑curing resins to fabricate micrometer‑scale rotating particles, whose rotational dynamics are then characterized. The authors demonstrate that these rotors enable the fabrication of multi‑part mechanical devices, proving that two‑photon polymerization coupled with light‑induced trapping and rotation provides a powerful approach for constructing complex micrometer‑scale machines.

Abstract

A method is introduced to build microscopic light driven rotors that are created and manipulated in laser tweezers. Laser light-induced two-photon polymerization of light curing resins is applied to generate effective rotating particles several microns in size. The dynamics of rotation are evaluated. Mechanical devices consisting of multiple moving parts driven by these rotors are produced. It is shown that the combination of the techniques of microfabrication by two-photon polymerization by light and the light-induced trapping and rotation offers a powerful tool with which to build complex mechanical machines of micrometer size.