Topological Insulator Materials for High-Performance Microwave Absorption: A Comprehensive Review on Mechanisms and...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Electromagnetics

Background:

• Traditional microwave absorption materials (MAMs) face limitations including excessive thickness, poor impedance matching, and limited functionality.
• Metastructure designs and multilayered gradients have improved MAMs, but new materials are needed for enhanced performance.
• Topological insulators (TIs) possess unique properties, including topologically protected surface states and tunable transport, making them promising candidates for advanced absorbers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the principles of microwave absorption and the advantages of topological insulator microwave-absorbing materials (TIMAMs).
• To systematically review recent research progress in TIMAMs, focusing on design strategies for performance optimization.
• To identify challenges and future directions for the development of high-performance, multifunctional TIMAMs.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on microwave absorption principles and materials.
• Analysis of the unique properties of topological insulators relevant to microwave absorption.
• Systematic review of recent research on TIMAMs, including design strategies and performance optimization.

Main Results:

• TIMAMs overcome limitations of traditional MAMs, offering enhanced impedance matching and effective absorption bandwidth.
• TIs exhibit tunable electrical transport and ZT values near room temperature, enabling multifunctional applications.
• Various design strategies have been explored to optimize the performance of TIMAMs.

Conclusions:

• TIMAMs represent a significant advancement in microwave absorption technology, addressing key challenges of traditional materials.
• The unique properties of TIs facilitate the development of multifunctional materials with combined microwave absorption and thermoelectric capabilities.
• Further research into TIMAMs promises theoretical guidance for designing next-generation high-performance absorbers.