Flexible Ge/Cu/ZnSe multilayer photonic structures for triple-band infrared camouflage, visible camouflage, and radiative cooling

• Published in: Optics express 2024-10, Vol.32 (21), p.37295
• Main Authors: Huang, Lehong, Zhang, Wenbo, Wei, Yuxuan, Li, Haochuan, Li, Xun, Ma, Caiwen, Zhang, Chunmin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1094-4087; 1094-4087
• DOI: 10.1364/OE.534651

With the rapid advancement of multi-band detection technologies, military and civilian equipment face an increasing risk of being detected, posing significant challenges to traditional single-band camouflage designs. To address this issue, this study presents an innovative multilayer structure using Ge, Cu, and ZnSe materials to achieve triple-band infrared camouflage, visible camouflage, and radiative cooling. The structure exhibits low emissivity in the short-wave infrared (SWIR, 1.2-2.5µm), mid-wave infrared (MWIR, 3-5µm), and long-wave infrared (LWIR, 8-14µm) bands, with values of 0.23, 0.11, and 0.27 respectively, thus realizing effective infrared camouflage. Additionally, it efficiently radiates heat in the non-atmospheric window ( ¯ =0.62). By adjusting the thickness of the top ZnSe layer, the structure can achieve visual camouflage against various backgrounds, significantly enhancing its effectiveness. The total thickness of the multilayer structure is only 1.33µm, and it is deposited on a flexible polyimide substrate via electron beam evaporation, providing remarkable deformation capability to meet camouflage needs in various complex environments. Experimental results show that, under an input power density of 1097 W/m , the apparent temperature of the structure is reduced by about 10°C compared to the commonly used engineering material titanium alloy (TC4), significantly reducing the detection range and demonstrating excellent infrared camouflage performance. This study also highlights the broad application prospects of this innovative multi-band camouflage material in both military and civilian fields, particularly its ability to flexibly adapt to different environments and conditions.