Etching-Guided Chiral Diffusion Enables Single-Layer RGB Polymer-Stabilized Cholesteric Liquid Crystal Devices

Polymer-stabilized cholesteric liquid crystals (PSCLCs) are promising materials for reflective displays owing to their wavelength-selective reflection and bistable optical properties. However, the fabrication of full-color PSCLC devices typically relies on multilayer assembly or repeated alignment processes, leading to complicated fabrication, long processing times, and limited patterning precision. Herein, we report an etching-guided chiral diffusion strategy for fabricating single-layer RGB PSCLC devices. Selective laser etching spatially defines chiral polymer reservoirs, enabling localized release and diffusion of chiral molecules into the cholesteric liquid crystal layer for precise modulation of the helical pitch. By programming the chiral diffusion profiles, red, green, and blue reflective domains with distinct structural colors are generated within a single PSCLC layer, enabling spatially patterned multicolor displays. Furthermore, the wavelength-selective reflection characteristics of the cholesteric structure allow the integration of spectrally encoded optical encryption and anti-counterfeiting functions. A full-color reflective prototype device with independently addressable pixels is further demonstrated, achieving electrically controlled dynamic pattern switching through a partitioned driving matrix. This work presents a simple and versatile strategy for fabricating single-layer RGB PSCLC devices, providing a platform for reflective displays, optical information encryption, and anti-counterfeiting applications.