Print-and-Draw: From 3D-Printed Fused Silica Preforms to Microstructured Hollow-core Optical Fibers

In recent years, there have been significant advancements in the field of additive manufacturing, which has the potential to transform traditional manufacturing processes. Furthermore, recent advancements have led to the integration of additive manufacturing in glass processing. However, the fabrication of preforms for microstructured optical fibres is predominantly conducted through the stack-and-draw method. This method has significant limitations in terms of producing complex fibre structures, which are crucial to explore improvements in confinement losses and new guidance mechanisms.

Photopolymer-based resins containing silica nanoparticles, which can be converted to fused silica glass via debinding and sintering demonstrates the potential of digital light processing (DLP) additive manufacturing to produce high-quality preforms for the fabrication of fibres with complex structures.

In this webinar, Azim-Onur Yazici from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light in Erlangen will present and discuss the current limitations and challenges, and show examples of silica optical fibres made using the print-and-draw approach, and their optical properties.

Subject Matter Level: Intermediate - Assumes basic knowledge of the topic

What You Will Learn:
• Utilization of 3D printing technology for fabricating preforms used in Hollow Core Fiber (HCF) production.
• Benefits of 3D printing over the traditional stack-and-draw method in HCF preform fabrication.
• Technical challenges, current limitations, and development needs associated with the 3D printing process for HCFs.

Who Should Attend:
Researchers and professionals in the field of
• Fiber optics,
• Hollow Core Fibers,
• Additive manufacturing (glass),
• Optical communications/High power lasers etc.

About the Presenter: Azim-Onur Yazici from the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL)

Azim-Onur Yazici is a Senior Engineer at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light (MPL). He successfully completed his undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Materials Science and Engineering at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. In 2017, he joined the Technology Development and Service Unit “Fibre Fabrication & Glass Studio” at MPL. He works on the fabrication of specialty glasses, extrusion, and 3D-printing of preforms for fibre fabrication. Since 2025, he has been enrolled as a doctoral student at the university in Erlangen. His research focuses on the potential of free-form fabrication of microstructured fibres, covering a range of aspects from glass properties to process design.

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