Flexible and wearable dual-channel liquid crystal polymer film for high-performance security information encryption

Information security has become a crucial concern in our daily lives, with numerous advanced strategies developed for information protection and data security. Liquid crystal (LC) has emerged as one of the most attractive candidates for information encryption due to its highly efficient modulation of phase, wavelength, and polarization. However, multi-channel anti-counterfeiting LC devices are typically confined to rigid glass substrates, and achieving such functionality through simple fabrication processes and low-energy stimuli remains a challenge. Herein, a novel twist nematic liquid crystal polymer (LCP) film for multidimensional and flexible information encryption is proposed. Two distinct patterns are written into top and bottom substrates via photomasks created with an ordinary printer. These two pieces of encoded information can be independently displayed by rotating the sample or analyzer. Through ultraviolet photo-crosslinking, the LCP in the cell is solidified into a film, which can then be detached and transferred onto various substrates. This research demonstrates that dual-channel LCP films have promising prospects in wearable devices, flexible displays, data storage, and information encryption.