3D-Printed Architected Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Displays With Spatiotemporal Color Modulation

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Photonics
• Soft Robotics

Background:

• Cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs) exhibit structural colors via helical superstructures.
• Current CLC applications are limited to planar systems, hindering complex 3D display development.
• Achieving spatiotemporal color control in 3D CLC architectures remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a multi-material 3D printing approach for creating advanced CLC display systems.
• To enable spatiotemporally controllable color output in 3D-printed CLC architectures.
• To integrate CLC photonic systems with conductive circuits for electrothermal devices.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing shear-thinning CLC composite inks for high-fidelity 3D printing.
• Fabricating freestanding 3D photonic architectures and patterned films.
• Co-printing conductive Joule-heating circuits for localized temperature control.
• Encoding reflection wavelength via circuit geometry for precise color output.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated high-fidelity extrusion of CLC inks, preserving reversible structural coloration.
• Successfully created static photonic patterns and freestanding 3D CLC architectures.
• Developed monolithic electrothermal devices with spatiotemporally programmable multicolor outputs.
• Integrated the system into a soft robotic gripper for visual temperature feedback and adaptive actuation.

Conclusions:

• The multi-material 3D printing approach advances CLC displays from static patterns to dynamic systems.
• This strategy enables precise, localized color control through integrated electrothermal circuits.
• The developed framework offers a scalable solution for programmable, interactive photonic architectures in soft robotics and beyond.