DOI: 10.3390/photonics13100897 ISSN: 2304-6732

Design and Characterization of a High-Temperature Resistant Thermal Infrared Stealth Film with Radiative Cooling and Broadband Radar Transparency

Chenglong Ding, Zhigang Li, Dapeng Zhao, Zongsheng Chen, Xiangyin Lv, Jinhua Zhang, Jiangming Shi

Infrared stealth for high-temperature targets is of considerable significance. Multilayer-film-based selective thermal emitters can effectively regulate thermal radiation, thereby offering a promising solution to stealth challenges. In this work, a novel selective thermal emitter based on a multilayer thin film is designed. The film consists of ten layers constructed from five materials: TiO2, Al2O3, HfO2, Ge, and SiO2. Experimental measurements show that, at room temperature, the multilayer film exhibits an emissivity of 0.199 in the mid-infrared band and 0.219 in the long-wave infrared band, demonstrating excellent infrared stealth performance. In the non-detection band (5–8 µm), an emissivity of 0.774 is achieved, enabling effective heat dissipation. At elevated temperatures up to 500 °C, the multilayer film still maintains favorable infrared stealth and radiative cooling performance. Furthermore, experiments demonstrate that the film possesses outstanding radar-wave transparency in the 2–18 GHz band, making it suitable for subsequent integration with radar-absorbing materials to form composite structures and achieve compatible stealth. The designed and fabricated multilayer film provides a new reference for the realization of high-temperature-resistant selective thermal emitters.