Fig. 4: Submicron nano-kirigami and reconfigurable helicity.

a Measured reflection spectra of the cross wires in the inset of b, which are switchable between V = 20 and −20 V. b Measured modulation contrast in reflection spectrum for the cross wires in the inset. Structural parameters: w = 0.796 µm, p = 0.975 µm, d = 200 nm. c, d Simulated and measured CD spectra of initial 2D and deformed 3D three-arm pinwheels [defined as CD_T in arbitrary units (a.u.), see “Methods”] at V = 0 and 60 V, respectively. To compare the changes induced by 3D deformations under the same starting condition, the simulated CD spectrum of the initial 2D pattern is normalized to the experimental spectrum of the same structure. Inset of c, calculated distribution of enhancement factor of optical helicity density for 2D (left, at z = 0 plane) and deformed 3D (right, at z = −120 nm plane) pinwheels in hexagonal unit cells under RCP incidence (Supplementary Fig. 10b, c). Inset of d, SEM image of the fabricated 2D pinwheels with scaling factor of 1.0. Structural parameters: w = 0.880 µm, pinwheel spacing s = 1.15 µm, d = 300 nm. e Measured CD spectra of three-arm pinwheels with s = 1.265 μm when the voltage is switched between 0 and 65 V (see Supplementary Fig. 10f). f Measured changes in CD spectra (\(\Delta {\mathrm{CD}}_{\mathrm{T}} = {\mathrm{CD}}_{{\mathrm{T}},3{\mathrm{D}}} - {\mathrm{CD}}_{{\mathrm{T}},2{\mathrm{D}}}\)) between 3D and 2D three-arm pinwheels under scaling factors of 1.0 (red), 1.1 (blue), and 1.2 (black). Scale bars: 1 μm.