3D mechanical metamaterials

Mechanical metamaterials are engineered materials whose properties arise from designed 3D architecture rather than composition alone. By structuring periodic or non-periodic structures, they exhibit unconventional behaviors such as negative Poisson’s ratio (auxetics), chiral responses, and enhanced energy absorption. At the microscale, fabricating mechanical metamaterials remains challenging due to the need for high precision, true 3D design freedom, and reliable process control.

High-precision 3D printing of mechanical metamaterials

Nanoscribe’s Two-Photon Polymerization (2PP) is a leading high-resolution 3D printing technology for fabricating mechanical metamaterials with complex freeform geometries. Quantum X systems, powered by Two-Photon Grayscale Lithography (2GL®), extend 2PP through voxel size tuning, realizing high-quality structures at significantly reduced fabrication times. This allows both fine features and large-scale architectures of engineered unit cells to be realized within a single workflow. The technology can also integrate different structural elements into one architecture, such as monolithic truss and woven designs, and introduce controlled defects to study energy dissipation effects.



 

The key benefits of high-resolution 3D printing

Quantum X systems combine precision, scalability, and design freedom, delivering clear advantages for mechanical metamaterial fabrication:

• High throughput fabrication across scales: 2GL^® accelerates printing from submicrometer features to mesoscale structures, supporting hierarchical designs. 

• Aberration-free printing: Dip-in Laser Lithography (DiLL) ensures high shape fidelity and uniform feature sizes for predictable mechanical performance. 

• Seamless 3D architectures: Automated cross-component calibrations ensure uniform pitches and minimize stitching artifacts, preserving mechanical behavior across large-area structures. 

• Wide mechanical property range: Validated photoresins span Young’s moduli from the MPa to GPa range, allowing application-specific tuning from compliant to high-strength metamaterials. 

• Compatible with pyrolytic post-processing: Nanoscribe’s photoresins convert into carbon nanostructures while preserving geometry for ultralight, high-strength and impact-resilient architectures. 

• Streamlined lattice design: Included software accelerates the creation and modification of unit-cell architectures toward targeted mechanical properties.  

• Direct printing on a wide range of substrates: Compatible with e.g. wafers, fibers, and MEMS, allowing in-situ fabrication for sensors, actuators and microdevices.