Military camouflage technology in China mimics the appearance of leaves, deflects laser beams, and conceals from thermal radiation.
Advanced Infrared Camouflage Device Achieves Laser Stealth and Thermal Management
A groundbreaking innovation in the field of stealth technology has been developed by the Micro-Nano Optoelectronics and Intelligent Sensing Research Group. This tunable multispectral compatible infrared camouflage device is a sophisticated material system designed to dynamically adjust its infrared emissivity and optical properties, providing camouflage across multiple spectral bands, including infrared, visible light, and laser wavelengths.
The device's core component is a phase-change material, In3SbTe2 (IST), which can reversibly switch between amorphous and crystalline states. This switching modulates the device's emissivity and absorption properties, enabling it to mimic the infrared radiation characteristics of natural backgrounds, such as plants in the Rosaceae family, thereby hiding objects from infrared detection systems and offering laser stealth.
The device comprises layers of Chromium (Cr), Indium Tin Antimony Telluride (In₃SbTe₂ or IST), Germanium (Ge), Titanium Dioxide (TiO₂), and Zinc Sulfide (ZnS). The topmost patterned layer of IST can switch between amorphous (aIST) and crystalline (cIST) phases, allowing dynamic control of emissivity in infrared atmospheric windows (3–5 μm and 8–14 μm).
In the amorphous phase, the device's emissivity matches that of Rosaceae plants, enabling effective infrared camouflage. This phase also exhibits high laser absorption at wavelengths like 1.064 μm, 1.55 μm, and 10.6 μm, providing laser stealth capability. The device simultaneously manages thermal properties and visible light concealment within a compact, integrated design.
The design of the device employs advanced computational optimization techniques, such as particle swarm optimization and finite difference time domain simulations, to tailor its spectral performance intensively. This enables it to adaptively blend with natural environments by changing its emission profile, effectively "vanishing" in multiple detection spectra, highly useful for stealth technologies in defense applications.
In addition to laser stealth, the device achieves absorption rates of 0.99, 0.92, and 0.88 at wavelengths of 1.064 μm, 1.55 μm, and 10.6 μm, respectively. It addresses thermal management by utilizing two non-atmospheric window bands (2.5-3 μm and 5-8 μm) for heat dissipation. In the visible spectrum, high absorptivity ensures effective visible light camouflage.
The Micro-Nano Optoelectronics and Intelligent Sensing Research Group has been awarded over 70 national invention patents for this development and has received recognition with national and military scientific and technological achievement awards for their related research.
[1] X. Wang, et al., "Tunable multispectral compatible infrared camouflage device based on phase change material In3SbTe2," Applied Physics Letters, vol. 116, no. 18, 2020. [2] L. Yang, et al., "Design and optimization of tunable multispectral compatible infrared camouflage device based on phase change material In3SbTe2," Optics Express, vol. 28, no. 14, 2020.
- The Micro-Nano Optoelectronics and Intelligent Sensing Research Group's innovation, a tunable multispectral compatible infrared camouflage device, not only provides camouflage across infrared, visible light, and laser wavelengths, but also dynamically adjusts its properties for laser stealth, demonstrating the integration of science, technology, and innovation in robotics and stealth technology.
- The device's dynamic control of emissivity in infrared atmospheric windows, achieved through the topmost patterned layer of In3SbTe2 switching between amorphous and crystalline phases, not only enables effective infrared camouflage by matching the emissivity of Rosaceae plants, but also provides laser stealth through high laser absorption at wavelengths commonly used in technology.
- The development of this tunable multispectral compatible infrared camouflage device, a complex material system incorporating Chromium, Indium Tin Antimony Telluride, Germanium, Titanium Dioxide, and Zinc Sulfide, has been recognized with numerous national invention patents and prestigious scientific and technological achievement awards, showcasing the significant advancements in the field of science and technology.
