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Sub-second volumetric 3D printing by synthesis of holographic light fields

Xukang Wang, Yuanzhu Ma, Yihan Niu, Bo Xiong, Anke Zhang, Guoxun Zhang, Yifan Chen, Wei Wei, Lu Fang, Jiamin Wu, Qionghai Dai

2026Nature9 citationsDOIOpen Access PDF

Abstract

Volumetric additive manufacturing has emerged as a promising technique for the flexible production of complex structures, with diverse applications in engineering, photonics and biology1,2. However, present methods still face a trade-off between resolution and volumetric build rate, restricting efficient and flexible production of high-resolution 3D structures. Here we propose a method, called digital incoherent synthesis of holographic light fields (DISH), to generate high-resolution 3D light distributions through continuous multi-angle projections with a high-speed rotating periscope without the requirement of sample rotation. The iterative optimization of the holograms for different angles in DISH maintains 19-μm printing resolution across the 1-cm range that is far beyond the depth of field of the objective and enables high-resolution in situ 3D printing of millimetre-scale objects within only 0.6 s. Acrylate materials in a range of viscosities are used to demonstrate the general compatibility of DISH. Integrating DISH with a fluid channel, we achieved mass production of complex and diverse 3D structures within low-viscosity materials, demonstrating its potential for broad applications in diverse fields. A new method is described that uses a periscope to generate high-speed, high-resolution projections of light fields, enabling sub-second volumetric 3D printing of millimetre-scale objects without rotating the sample.

Topics & Concepts

Holography3D printingDigital Light ProcessingPhotonicsComputer scienceOpticsDigital micromirror deviceLight fieldMaterials scienceHigh resolutionStructured light3d printedDepth of fieldDigital holographyCompatibility (geochemistry)Field (mathematics)Range (aeronautics)Face (sociological concept)Computer graphics (images)Holographic display3d printerImage resolutionSample (material)Resolution (logic)OptoelectronicsStereo display3D modelingAdvanced Materials and MechanicsAdvanced Optical Imaging Technologies3D Printing in Biomedical Research