The project is developing a first-of-its-kind dual-wavelength, two-photon polymerization (DW-2PP) approach to 3D printing. This technique uses two different light sources to selectively print different materials.
This enables the creation of complex geometries with sub-micron resolution, potentially enabling the production of fuel capsules at the scale required for a power plant.
“We are focusing on a specific type of wetted-foam capsule, in which liquid DT can be wicked into a uniform foam layer on the inside of the spherical capsule by capillary action,” said Xia, co-principal investigator and a staff scientist in the Lab’s Materials Engineering Division.