Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Numerous recent technological advancements suggest that microoptics represents one of the key enabling technologies of the future. Irrespective of their functional role, microoptical components have to be produced in large quantities and at extremely high levels of precision. Among the broad variety of microoptical designs possible, retroreflective microstructures constitute a special category of features characterized by enhanced capabilities to reflect back/return a significant amount of incoming/incident light. One of the common ways to achieve retroreflection involves total internal reflection (TIR), a phenomenon that essentially speculates the existence of the critical angle at the interface between media characterized by different refractive indices. The most widespread application of TIR-based retroreflectors (RRs) is represented by the ubiquitous taillights that are installed on virtually every vehicle in the world. However, for better or worse, structured-surface RRs are being manufactured today almost identically as 60 years ago in a sense that long-standing pin-bundling technology is in use to fabricate the only type of RR design that can be made with it, namely corner-cube (CC). While undoubtedly functional, this approach represents a significant deviation from the well-accepted "design-driven manufacturing" paradigm that has been replaced in this context by a less desirable "manufacturing-locked design" philosophy. To address this, a new technology termed as ultraprecise single point cutting (USPC) - with an inverted variant - was shown to be an effective mean to generate non-CC RRs, more specifically in the form of right triangular prisms (RTPs). To further elevate the technology/manufacturing readiness level of USPC, the following objectives will be targeted by the current proposal: i) develop RR microstructures characterized by an enhanced optical performance and, ii) develop efficient USPC cutting and strategies. For this purpose, a broad variety of investigational approaches will be used, practically ranging from the incorporation of the surface quality in the virtual simulation of the optical performance of the RRs to the integration of ultrasonic elliptical cutting into the general RR fabrication process. The knowledge to be generated in the framework of the proposed research is expected to facilitate downstream developments capable to position Canadian manufacturers among world leaders in fabrication of retroreflective/microoptical components. It is anticipated that the progress to be made through the current proposal will bring USPC to a level of maturity capable to enable its future extensions into the non-optical surface functionalization domain. The trainees to become involved in the proposed research are expected to acquire a critical set of skills required for further promotion and development of this niche, but presently underrepresented sector of Canadian economy.