Flexible Metasurface for Microwave-Infrared Compatible Camouflage via Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

Metamaterials have the powerful ability to freely control multiband electromagnetic (EM) waves through elaborately designed "artificial atoms" and are hence in the limelight in various fields. Typically, camouflage materials manipulate wave-matter interactions to achieve the desired optical properties, in particular, various techniques are used for multiband camouflage materials in both infrared (IR) and microwave (MW) ranges to overcome the scale difference between these bands. However, in the context of components required for microwave communications, simultaneous control of IR emission and MW transmission is required, which is challenging owing to differences in the wave-matter interactions in these two bands. Herein, the state-of-the-art concept of flexible compatible camouflage metasurface (FCCM) is demonstrated, which can manipulate IR signatures while maintaining MW selective transmission simultaneously. For achieving maximum IR tunability and MW selective transmission, it is performed optimization using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. Consequently, the FCCM exhibits compatible camouflage performance with both IR signature reduction and MW selective transmission is demonstrated, with 77.7% IR tunability and 93.8% transmission achieved for a flat FCCM. Furthermore, the FCCM reached the 89.8% IR signature reduction effect even in curved situations.