Through intricate processing it is possible to achieve full control over the polarization characteristics of thin-film organic optics. Since the early days of cave wall inscriptions, humans have themselves developed pigmented materials to apply colors according to strict aesthetic demands. The circular dichroism in reflection found in certain insect exoskeletons can be emulated using chiral nematic liquid crystals. Through nanoscale molecular motifs, the natural world displays splendid iridescent colors in both animate and inanimate matters. The strongly perspective-dependent appearance of the material can function as specialized anticounterfeit markers, as optical elements in decorative iridescent coatings, or, as demonstrated here, in optically based signaling features. After crosslinking, a freely programmable, chiroptical photonic polymer material is obtained. Tuning the writing direction and speed leads to the programmed formation of a slanted photonic axis, which exhibits atypical iridescence and polarization selectivity. In this work, a suitable chiral nematic liquid crystal elastomer ink is synthesized for direct ink writing, which self-assembles into a chiral photonic structure. A major challenge in materials science is generating the bright, lustrous hues seen in nature through nanoscale engineering, while simultaneously controlling interaction of the material with different light polarizations. The iridescence of structural color and its polarization characteristics originate from the nanoscale organization of materials.
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