Here we provide an overview of the key working principles of LC-SLMs and review the significant progress made to date in their deployment for various applications, cov-ering topics as diverse as beam shaping and steering, holography, optical trapping and tweezers, measurement . Here we provide an overview of the key working principles of LC-SLMs and review the significant progress made to date in their deployment for various applications, cov-ering topics as diverse as beam shaping and steering, holography, optical trapping and tweezers, measurement . Spatial light modulators, as dynamic flat-panel optical devices, have witnessed rapid development over the past two dec-ades, concomitant with the advancements in micro- and opto-electronic integration technology. In particular, liquid-crys-tal spatial light modulator (LC-SLM) technologies have. In a new review published in Opto-Electronic Science, the authors showcase the recent advances in replacing the traditional static optical toolkit with a modern digital toolkit for "light on demand. They play an important role in adaptive optics as phase-correction devices. This chapter expounds on the domestic and foreign development and research status of liquid-crystal spatial. N.