Hierarchical visible-infrared-microwave scattering surfaces for multispectral camouflage

Abstract Multispectral camouflage, especially for the infrared-microwave range, is an essential technology for the safety of facilities, vehicles, and humans. So far, it has been realized mainly by high infrared specular reflection and high microwave absorption. However, external infrared sources can expose the target through specular reflection; also, the heat production from microwave absorption can increase the infrared radiation. This work proposes a multispectral camouflage scheme based on hierarchical visible-infrared-microwave scattering surfaces to address these issues. The proposed device exhibits: (1) low infrared emissivity ( ε 8–14 μm = 0.17) and low infrared specular reflectivity ( R s 8–14 μm = 0.13), maintaining low infrared radiation and capability to overcome the presence of an external infrared source simultaneously; (2) high scattering in microwave range, with −10 dB radar cross section reduction bandwidth of 8–13 GHz, simultaneously achieving microwave camouflage and reducing the heat production; (3) tunability of color for visible camouflage. This work proposes a method to control scattering over visible-infrared-microwave bands, thereby introducing a new design paradigm for modern camouflage technology.