Multifunctional integrated metamaterials for radar-infrared-visible compatible multispectral stealth

Abstract

Metamaterials offer exciting opportunities for developing multispectral stealth due to their unique electromagnetic properties. However, currently transparent radar-infrared-visible compatible stealth metamaterials typically involve complex hierarchical designs, leading to thickness and transparency limitations. Here, we propose an integrated metamaterial for multispectral stealth with high transparency. Our design features an ITO/dielectric/ITO sandwich structure, with the upper-layer ITO acting as a resonator for broadband microwave absorption while maintaining a high filling ratio to suppress infrared (IR) radiation. Experimental results demonstrate excellent performance, with over 90% microwave absorption in 8–18 GHz, an IR emissivity of approximately 0.36 in 3–14 µm, an average optical transmittance of 74.1% in 380–800 nm, and a thickness of only 2.4 mm. With its multispectral compatibility, the proposed metamaterial has potential applications in stealth and camouflage fields.