Scientists from the Faculty of Physics of the University of Warsaw (UW), in cooperation with representatives of foreign institutions, developed microscopic polymer lenses that allow optical examination of objects ten times smaller than a SARS-CoV-2 virus particle without using a microscope. These lenses were made through ultra-precise 3D laser printing technology.

Researchers from the Faculty of Physics of the University of Warsaw designed and manufactured tiny lenses using a unique ultrasound 3D laser printer nationwide. They have dimensions many times smaller than the diameter of a human hair and can become an invaluable help in optical measurements of semiconductor structures.

These lenses will increase the amount of light that can be observed from samples containing, for example, quantum dots or, recently extremely popular, atomic thin two-dimensional materials. The latter include molybdenum diseoxide and tungsten diseoxide, which have a graphene-like structure.