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RMIT University researchers have found a way to fabricate batches of nanoscale sensors on the tips of optical fibres, with insect wings playing a role in this research.
This breakthrough is a critical step toward the mass manufacture of nanoscale sensors.
Led by Professor Arnan Mitchell from RMIT and Dr Paul Stoddart from Swinburne University, the team nanoimprint lithography in the first demonstration of the parallel fabrication of nanoscale sensors on optical fibre tips.
The research has a range of potential applications from medicine and biotechnology to sensing environmental contaminants.
Optical fibres are about the width of a human hair, making them suitable as platforms for building tiny sensors.
According to the researchers, nano-level feature sculpting, while difficult, is not unheard of in nature. Some insect wings feature nano-sized elements that act to minimise reflections and reduce their visibility to predators.
The team used the transparent wing of a cicada as a template of sorts, copying the nano-scale textures onto fibre tips.
Previously, it would take up to an hour to build just one nanosensor. The new technique allows up to 40 nanoscensors to be built at a time, demonstrating a low-cost and accessible way for large volume manufacture of the devices.
This research was funded through a National Health and Medical Research Council Development grant to develop intra-venous sensors based on a combination of advanced manufacturing, fibre optics and nano-technology.