Abstract
We propose a dual-band metamaterial perfect absorber with a metal–insulator–metal structure (MIM) for use in infrared (IR) stealth technology. We designed the MIM structure to have surface plasmon polariton (SPP) and magnetic polariton (MP) resonance peaks at 1.54 μm and 6.2 μm, respectively. One peak suppresses the scattering signals used by laser-guided missiles, and the other matches the atmospheric absorption band, thereby enabling the suppression of long-wavelength IR (LWIR) and mid-wavelength IR (MWIR) signals from objects as they propagate through the air. We analysed the spectral properties of the resonance peaks by comparing the wavelength of the MP peak calculated using the finite-difference time-domain method with that obtained by utilizing an inductor–capacitor circuit model. We evaluated the dependence of the performance of the dual-band metamaterial perfect absorber on the incident angle of light at the surface. The proposed absorber was able to reduce the scattering of 1.54 μm IR laser light by more than 90% and suppress the MWIR and LWIR signatures by more than 92%, as well as maintain MWIR and LWIR signal reduction rates greater than 90% across a wide temperature range from room temperature to 500 °C.
Highlights
Metamaterial perfect absorbers have attracted considerable attention in energy-harvesting applications such as thermophotovoltaics[1,2,3,4], LED-light-extracting structures[5], spectroscopic sensors[6], and near-field lithography[7]
We evaluated the usability of the proposed absorber in IR stealth technology in two wavelength ranges—the mid-wavelength IR (MWIR) wavelength range from 3 μm to 5.5 μm and the long-wavelength IR (LWIR) wavelength range from 8 μm to 14 μm—since IR search and track (IRST) detectors employ the signatures of objects in these wavelength ranges
The perfect absorber has a narrow IR absorption band at 1.54 μm to suppress the scattering signals used by laser-guided missiles and a broad thermal radiation band at 6.2 μm to reduce the MWIR and LWIR signatures by employing atmospheric absorption
Summary
Metamaterial perfect absorbers have attracted considerable attention in energy-harvesting applications such as thermophotovoltaics[1,2,3,4], LED-light-extracting structures[5], spectroscopic sensors[6], and near-field lithography[7]. Many studies have been conducted on metamaterial perfect absorbers to improve the performance of stealth technology using radar-absorbing surfaces These studies have been extended to include symmetric MIM structures such as composite unit cells[1, 28], stacked layers[29, 30], and multiple rings[18, 31] to achieve a performance that is insensitive to variations in polarization and incident angles. Owing to its property of strong absorption of electromagnetic waves, the research on stealth technology using MIM structures has mostly focused on reducing the cross section of electromagnetic waves in the frequency range from GHz to THz. Since the IR perfect absorber using an MIM structure increases the IR signature of target objects by enhancing their thermal radiation, the applications of perfect absorbers in IR stealth technology have not been generally accepted. IR search and track (IRST) systems detect thermal radiation from the surfaces of military vehicles and combustion exhaust for the purpose of surveillance and to guide missiles to their targets
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