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Vol. 17 (2025)

High-Temperature Stealth Across Multi-Infrared and Microwave Bands with Efficient Radiative Thermal Management

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01712-5
Meng Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Extreme Photonics and Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People’s Republic of China
Huanzheng Zhu
State Key Laboratory of Extreme Photonics and Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People’s Republic of China
Bing Qin
State Key Laboratory of Extreme Photonics and Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People’s Republic of China
Rongxuan Zhu
State Key Laboratory of Extreme Photonics and Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People’s Republic of China
Jihao Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Extreme Photonics and Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People’s Republic of China
Pintu Ghosh
State Key Laboratory of Extreme Photonics and Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People’s Republic of China
Zuojia Wang
College of Information Science and Electronic Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People’s Republic of China
Min Qiu
Key Laboratory of 3D Micro/Nano Fabrication and Characterization of Zhejiang Province, School of Engineering, Westlake University, Hangzhou 310024, People’s Republic of China
Qiang Li
State Key Laboratory of Extreme Photonics and Instrumentation, College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, People’s Republic of China

Corresponding Author: Qiang Li

qiangli@zju.edu.cn

Nano-Micro Letters, Vol. 17 (2025), Article Number: 199

Abstract

High-temperature stealth is vital for enhancing the concealment, survivability, and longevity of critical assets. However, achieving stealth across multiple infrared bands—particularly in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) band—along with microwave stealth and efficient thermal management at high temperatures, remains a significant challenge. Here, we propose a strategy that integrates an IR-selective emitter (Mo/Si multilayer films) and a microwave metasurface (TiB2–Al2O3–TiB2) to enable multi-infrared band stealth, encompassing mid-wave infrared (MWIR), long-wave infrared (LWIR), and SWIR bands, and microwave (X-band) stealth at 700 °C, with simultaneous radiative cooling in non-atmospheric window (5–8 μm). At 700 °C, the device exhibits low emissivity of 0.38/0.44/0.60 in the MWIR/LWIR/SWIR bands, reflection loss below − 3 dB in the X-band (9.6–12 GHz), and high emissivity of 0.82 in 5–8 μm range—corresponding to a cooling power of 9.57 kW m−2. Moreover, under an input power of 17.3 kW m−2—equivalent to the aerodynamic heating at Mach 2.2—the device demonstrates a temperature reduction of 72.4 °C compared to a conventional low-emissivity molybdenum surface at high temperatures. This work provides comprehensive guidance on high-temperature stealth design, with far-reaching implications for multispectral information processing and thermal management in extreme high-temperature environments.


Highlights:
1 Simultaneous stealth across multiple infrared bands (short-wave infrared (SWIR), mid-wave infrared (MWIR), long-wave infrared (LWIR)) and microwaves at high temperatures (700 °C) is achieved.
2 At 700 °C, the device features low emissivity of 0.38/0.44/0.60 in MWIR/LWIR/SWIR bands, reflection loss below − 3 dB in the X-band (9.6–12 GHz), and high emissivity of 0.82 in the 5–8 μm range.
3 Under an input power equivalent to Mach 2.2 aerodynamic heating, effective thermal management achieves a 72.4 °C temperature reduction compared to conventional low-emissivity molybdenum.

Keywords

Stealth High temperature Multispectral Thermal management
Zhao, Meng, Huanzheng Zhu, Bing Qin, Rongxuan Zhu, Jihao Zhang, Pintu Ghosh, Zuojia Wang, Min Qiu, and Qiang Li. 2025. “High-Temperature Stealth Across Multi-Infrared and Microwave Bands With Efficient Radiative Thermal Management”. Nano-Micro Letters 17 (March):199. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-025-01712-5.
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