Harnessing Light for 3D Printing with Upconversion

Harnessing Light for 3D Printing with Upconversion
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Abstract:
Precision manufacturing at the nanoscale faces a fundamental energy bottleneck: achieving the resolution needed for next-generation devices requires laser powers so high they severely limit throughput and scalability.
In this talk, I will present a breakthrough solution developed at Harvard and Stanford using triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion, a process where two low-energy photons create one high-energy photon. By encapsulating specialized light-converting molecules in protective silica shells, we can trigger photopolymerization deep within printing resins using laser powers orders of magnitude lower than existing methods. This approach not only dramatically reduces energy requirements but also enables flexible printing strategies, from single-point precision to parallel processing, which opens new possibilities for scalable nanomanufacturing.
Read more:
Technical review article: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acsnano.3c00543
Research article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04485-8
IEEE Spectrum article: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/10271352
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Speaker:
Tracy Schloemer
Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellow
Department of Electrical Engineering; Congreve Lab
Stanford University
Tracy H. Schloemer is currently an Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellow at Stanford University in the Department of Electrical Engineering, advised by Prof. Dan Congreve.
She earned her B.S. in Chemistry and M.A. in Educational Studies from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Afterwards, she taught high school chemistry in Denver, Colorado, focusing on active learning pedagogies like project-based learning so her students could “do science, not just learn about science.”
She was so effective at persuading her students to pursue STEM careers that she accidentally convinced herself to do the same. She later earned her Ph.D. in Applied Chemistry from the Colorado School of Mines in 2019, where she focused on organic semiconductor design for improved operational durability of perovskite solar cells under Prof. Alan Sellinger and in collaboration with the National Renewable Energy Lab.
Her research has been published in numerous interdisciplinary journals and featured in prominent media outlets, such as the BBC Podcast “The Naked Scientist.” Her work has also been recognized through several awards, including a fellowship from the Knowles Teaching Initiative, selection for the CAS Future Leaders Program from the American Chemical Society (ACS), a fellowship from the Arnold O. Beckman Foundation, and the ACS Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering (PMSE) 2024 Future Faculty Award
Her interests outside the lab include hiking and cheering on all University of Michigan “sportsball” teams.
AGENDA:
Thursday June 19, 2025
11:30 AM: Networking, Pizza & Drinks
Noon — 1 pm: Seminar
Please register on Eventbrite before 9:30 AM on Thursday June 19, 2025
$4 IEEE members $6 non IEEE members
(discounts for unemployed and students )
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Co-sponsored by: 636940-Santa Clara Valley Section Chapter,EMB18
Bldg: ==> Use corner entrance: Kifer Road / San Lucar Court ==> Do not enter at main entrance on Kifer Road, EAG Labs, 810 Kifer Road, Sunnyvale, California, California, United States, 95051