Optically transparent water-based wideband switchable radar absorber/reflector with low infrared radiation characteristics

An optically transparent water-based radar-infrared compatible stealth structure is proposed in this paper, which acts as a wideband microwave switchable absorber/reflector and features low infrared radiation at the same time. The enhanced wideband switching function between the microwave absorbing state (10.52–20.04 GHz for TE mode and 10.52–20.21 GHz for TM mode) and the reflecting state in the entire band (5–26.5 GHz) is realized through the injection and discharge of pure water. The low infrared radiation characteristics can be obtained by properly designing the infrared shielding layer (IR-SL) on the top and the temperature management through water circulation. The unique properties of the proposed structure in microwave, optical and infrared bands are validated by separate experiments. Owing to its multifunctional performance, the proposed design is expected to be applied in various potential applications, especially the multispectral stealth area.