New dual band stealth material offers advanced capabilities for use in darkness and outer space, promising enhancements for military and space applications.
A team from Nanjing University has made significant strides in stealth technology, creating a skin-like metamaterial for dual-band camouflage. This innovation is crucial for applications requiring invisibility in both visible and infrared spectrums, such as nighttime and outer space environments.
Stealth technology relies on high visible light absorption for darkness adaptation and low infrared emissivity to suppress thermal radiation. The researchers achieved this by developing a unique cross-scale three-dimensional multistage structure using Au nanoparticles assembled into hollow pillars (NPAHP) through bottom-up template-assisted self-assembly processes.
The resulting metamaterial exhibits impressive properties with a visible light absorptivity of 0.947 and an infrared emissivity of 0.074/0.045 in the mid-wave/long-wave infrared bands. Its micrometer thickness and periodic through-holes provide superior skin-like attachability and permeability, allowing it to closely adhere to various surfaces, including the human body.
Led by Professor Zhu Jia of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the research was published in the journal Science Advances in June.
Stealth Materials: New metamaterial offers advanced capabilities for use in darkness and outer space, promising enhancements for military and aerospace applications
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