Optical components made fully or partially from reconfigurable, stimuli‐responsive, soft solids or fluids—collectively referred to as soft photonics—are poised to form the platform for tunable optical devices with unprecedented functionality and performance characteristics. Currently, however, soft solid and fluid material systems still represent an underutilized class of materials in the optical engineers' toolbox. This is in part due to challenges in fabrication, integration, and structural control on the nano‐ and microscale associated with the application of soft components in optics. These challenges might be addressed with the help of a resourceful ally: nature. Organisms from many different phyla have evolved an impressive arsenal of light manipulation strategies that rely on the ability to generate and dynamically reconfigure hierarchically structured, complex optical material designs, often involving soft or fluid components. A comprehensive understanding of design concepts, structure formation principles, material integration, and control mechanisms employed in biological photonic systems will allow this study to challenge current paradigms in optical technology. This review provides an overview of recent developments in the fields of soft photonics and biologically inspired optics, emphasizes the ties between the two fields, and outlines future opportunities that result from advancements in soft and bioinspired photonics.

中文翻译：

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软光子学和生物启发光学的进展和机遇

完全或部分由可重新配置的，具有刺激响应能力的软固体或流体制成的光学组件（统称为软光子学）蓄势待发，可形成具有空前功能和性能特征的可调谐光学设备的平台。但是，目前，软固体和流体材料系统在光学工程师的工具箱中仍代表未充分利用的一类材料。部分原因是与在光学中应用软组件相关的纳米和微米级制造，集成和结构控制方面的挑战。这些挑战可以借助一个足智多谋的自然盟友来解决。来自许多不同门的生物已经发展出了令人印象深刻的光处理策略库，这些策略依赖于生成并动态重新配置通常涉及软或流体成分的层次结构化，复杂的光学材料设计的能力。对生物光子系统中使用的设计概念，结构形成原理，材料集成和控制机制的全面理解将使本研究挑战光学技术的当前范例。这篇综述概述了软光子学和受生物启发的光学领域的最新发展，强调了这两个领域之间的联系，并概述了由软化和受生物启发的光子学的发展所带来的未来机会。通常涉及柔软或流体成分。对生物光子系统中使用的设计概念，结构形成原理，材料集成和控制机制的全面理解将使本研究挑战光学技术的当前范例。这篇综述概述了软光子学和受生物启发的光学领域的最新发展，强调了这两个领域之间的联系，并概述了由软化和受生物启发的光子学的发展所带来的未来机会。通常涉及柔软或流体成分。对生物光子系统中使用的设计概念，结构形成原理，材料集成和控制机制的全面理解将使本研究挑战光学技术的当前范例。这篇综述概述了软光子学和受生物启发的光学领域的最新发展，强调了这两个领域之间的联系，并概述了由软化和受生物启发的光子学的发展所带来的未来机会。