Multi‐Mode Reconfigurable Information Displays Based on Optically and Electrically Co‐Addressed Oblique Helicoidal Cholesterics

ABSTRACT To overcome the limitations of complex patterning processes and static operation inherent in electrically‐triggered oblique helicoidal cholesteric (Ch OH ) reflective displays, here we demonstrate a photomask‐free, fully reconfigurable optical‐electric (Opto‐E) co‐addressed Ch OH display device. Integrating rapid digital photo‐addressing with heat‐assisted erasure, this device enables fast information writing and erasing. The foundation of this Opto‐E device is a visible‐light and electricity‐driven Ch OH system incorporating a chiral azobenzene photoswitch, Azo‐MX. Under 520 nm light irradiation, Azo‐MX exhibits rapid and reversible photoisomerization and stable photo‐thermal cycling behavior. Unlike conventional tuning mechanisms based on helical twisting power variations, our system operates via an isomerization‐induced state transition modulation (IISTM) process. This mechanism utilizes light‐triggered molecular conformational changes to modulate liquid crystal (LC) state stability, effectively lowering the electric‐field threshold for reflection color emergence and facilitating high‐sensitivity, continuous electrical tuning across the entire visible spectrum. This work provides a robust material platform and an Opto‐E addressing strategy for rewritable reflective LC labels, reconfigurable signage, and information display terminals.