Noninvasive inset-integrated meta-atom for achieving single-layer metasurface simultaneously with coded microwave reflectivity and digitalized infrared emissivity

With the rapid improvement of equipment integration technology, multi-spectrum detectors are integrated into compact volumes and widely used for object detection. Confront with this challenge, it is essential to propose a strategy to design a single-layer metasurface with multi-spectrum responses in microwave and infrared ranges. In this work, we proposed a method of designing meta-atoms, which is capable of achieving functional electromagnetic response at microwave and infrared individually. As a demonstration, a metasurface with four different occupation ratios and coding permutation features is designed, fabricated, and tested. In the microwave band, the pixel meta-atom is designed to realize highly efficient cross-polarization conversion between 5.0 and 10.0 GHz, which shows the metasurface can behave as ultra-low Radar Cross Section (RCS) reflectors in the working band; In the infrared band, different occupation ratio of meta-atoms are designed to realize the infrared emissivity from 0.60 to 0.80 in 3-14 μm, which can be used to exhibit digital infrared camouflage pattern. This work promotes the ability to use single-layer design to achieve digital infrared camouflage and microwave RCS reduction simultaneously. The one-layer design is simple in geometry, simplified in process, low cost in economy, and large scale in fabrication, which can promote practical use in compatible microwave stealth and infrared camouflage.