“异质结构”或“异构”作为强韧化领域前沿构型范式，为突破金属材料的强度、塑性与韧性等难以兼顾的矛盾提供了全新的解决思路。受天然材料的跨尺度构筑启发，本研究团队提出了仿生“多级层片异构”的协同设计策略，且实现了更突出的强-塑-韧性同步提升。本文主要聚焦本研究团队多年来在多级层片异构金属材料方面的研究进展，提炼了仿生鱼骨型、微层片遗传型、蚕茧位错网型等典型多级层片异质结构的理念、设计原理和强韧化机制，重点回顾了如何有效突破不可控裂纹、超细晶组织以及高密度位错诱导的强塑性掣肘难题，并将该新型异构策略和相应的突出性能改善成功拓展至多金属体系，制备出新一代高铁关键接触线材，综合性能国际领先。最后，展望了更先进的多级层片异构材料的开发及未来潜在发展方向。

“Heterogeneous structures” or “heterostructures” have emerged as a cutting-edge paradigm in the field of mechanical strengthening and toughening, promising to overcome the long-standing trade-offs among strength, ductility, and toughness in metallic materials. Inspired by the multiscale design principle of natural materials, researchers have proposed a synergistic design of bioinspired “hierarchical lamellar heterostructures”, enabling exceptional and simultaneous enhancements in the strength, ductility, and toughness of metallic materials. This study reviews the theoretical foundations, design principles, and strengthening-toughening mechanisms underpinning several archetypal hierarchical lamellar heterostructures: bionic herringbone type, micro-lamellar heredity pattern, and cocoon-like dislocation network model. This review focuses on how these hierarchical lamellar heterostructures effectively overcome the strength-ductility trade-off limitations imposed by uncontrolled crack propagation, ultrafine grain structures, and high-density dislocations. It also elucidates how this heterostructure strategy and its remarkable efficacy have been successfully extended to multiple metal systems, enabling the design and fabrication of a new generation of key high-speed railway contact wires with internationally leading comprehensive performance. Finally, the review discusses the prospects for developing more advanced hierarchical lamellar heterostructured materials and explores their potential future directions.