Programmable Jigsaw Puzzles of Soft Materials Enabled by Pixelated Holographic Surface Reliefs

Manual intervention in the self-organization of soft matter to obtain a desired superstructure is a complex but significant project. Specifically, optical components made fully or partially from reconfigurable and stimuli-responsive soft materials, referred to as soft photonics, are poised to form versatile platforms in various areas; however, a limited scale, narrow spectral adaptability, and poor stability are still formidable challenges. Herein, a facile way is developed to program the optical jigsaw puzzle of nematic liquid crystals via pixelated holographic surface reliefs, leading to an era of manufacturing for programmable soft materials with tailored functions. Multiscale jigsaw puzzles are established and endowed with unprecedented stability and durability, further sketching a prospective framework toward customized adaptive photonic architectures. This work demonstrates a reliable and efficient approach for directly assembling soft matter, unlocking the long-sought full potential of stimuli-responsive soft systems, and providing opportunities to inspire the next generation of soft photonics and relevant areas.