3D integration of microoptics and microfluidics in glass using femtosecond laser direct writing

We describe the fabrication of 3D microoptics and microfluidics embedded in glass using femtosecond laser direct writing. By integrating the microoptics and the microfluidics, microfluidic dye lasers three-dimensionally embedded in glass have been fabricated for the first time. By pumping the microfluidic laser, in which the microfluidic chamber was filled with laser dye rhodamine 6G dissolved in ethanol, by a frequency-doubled Nd:yttrium aluminum garnet laser, lasing action was confirmed by analyzing the emission spectra at different pumping powers. In addition, by arranging two microfluidic chambers serially in the glass, we built a microfluidic twin-laser which produces an array of two simultaneous laser emissions with one pumping laser. The integration of microoptics and microfluidic in a single glass chip paves the way toward the automatic fabrication of biophotonic chips.