Customized machining of internal structure of droplet based on laser injection and templated self-assembly

Abstract The machining of micro- and nanostructures of droplets holds significant scientific and practical importance. A major challenge lies in customizing the internal architecture of droplets. In this work, we introduce a method that employs laser injection and templated self-assembly to precisely engineer the internal structures of droplets. Laser injection breaks the droplet’s inherent confinement, enabling the injection of any desired number of inner cores. The diverse topological defects of cholesteric liquid crystal droplets facilitate the templated self-assembly of these injected cores into ordered substructures, thus achieving the customization of the droplet’s internal structure. This study explores our capabilities in machining soft matter micro- and nanostructures within closed interfaces and promises potential applications in the development of functional materials, pharmaceuticals, and sensors.