Adaptive Metaskins for Active and Passive Thermal Camouflage

Dynamic thermal camouflage conceals objects from infrared detection by modulating surface emissivity to match the thermal signature of the background. However, existing emissivity modulation systems fail to perform effectively across both hot backgrounds, such as sun-heated buildings and roads, and cold backgrounds, such as open fields. Here, an adaptive metaskin capable of operating in either active (externally powered) or passive mode is demonstrated, enabling effective camouflage across diverse thermal environments. This is achieved through the synergistic integration of a plasmonic MXene metasurface and a reprogrammable liquid crystal elastomer. The metaskin offers both a wide, continuously tunable emissivity range (≈41%) and a rapid temperature response (1.2 s), selectively triggered in the passive mode. In cold backgrounds (e.g., 20 °C), the system operates in an active mode, delivering a non-volatile low-emissivity state that conceals objects across a wide temperature range (e.g., 20-120 °C). In hot backgrounds (e.g., 50 °C), it switches to passive mode, autonomously modulating its emissivity and maintaining an average infrared contrast of just 4.7 °C for objects of 50-120 °C. This dual-mode design is expected to address the challenges of active and passive thermal camouflage, opening new possibilities for dynamic thermal radiation management.