Iodide-based glass with combination of high transparency and conductivity: A novel promising candidate for transparent microwave absorption and radar stealth

Abstract

The rapid development of the electronics industry has sparked widespread interest in transparent microwave-absorbing materials. Herein, iodide-based transparent conductive glass was used as a candidate material for transparent microwave absorption. AgI-AgPO3-WO3 glasses with varying AgI content were synthesized employing a quench-melting method. Their structures, optical and electrical properties, microwave absorption performance, and radar cross section (RCS) reduction were thoroughly investigated. The 45AgI-45AgPO3-10WO3 sample exhibited satisfactory microwave absorption, achieving a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) of − 47.18 dB, effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 1.97 GHz, and RCS reduction of 31.46 dB m2 in the X band. This was attributed to the synergistic effects of dielectric and magnetic losses, and impedance matching and electromagnetic attenuation. It also manifested acceptable performance in the Ku band (RLmin = − 14.58 dB, EAB = 1.38 GHz, and RCS reduction = 13.37 dB m2), which was primarily attributed to dielectric loss and electromagnetic attenuation. The conductive glass exhibited an optical transmittance of ∼80 % in the range of 500–2000 nm. In summary, this study highlights the potential use of transparent conductive glasses as transparent microwave-absorbing media for electromagnetic interference shielding applications in optical windows and domes, and stealth applications in high-performance optical cameras and optical detection device systems.