Research progress on spectrally selective radiation infrared stealth materials

Abstract

The continuously developing infrared detection technology and precise guidance technology pose an increasingly serious threat to the survival and penetration of missiles, hypersonic aircraft and other weapons and equipment. Infrared stealth technology plays an increasingly important role in modern warfare. Traditional low-emissivity coating materials usually have low emissivity characteristics in the entire infrared band and do not have spectral selectivity. This causes a poor effect on radiative cooling, which is not conducive to the reduction of the overall infrared signal of the target. Spectrally selective radiation infrared stealth materials can reduce the emissivity of atmospheric windows (3-5 and 8-14 µm), while using non-atmospheric window (5-8 µm) for radiative cooling. They have more efficient infrared stealth performance, thus attracting a lot of attention currently. This article introduces the research status and progress of three-generation spectrally selective radiation structures, which are based on photonic crystals, frequency selective surfaces and Fabry-Perot cavities respectively, summarizes their advantages and problems. At present, the spectrally selective radiation infrared stealth material is still far from practical application. In the future, it should continuously develop in the direction of simpler technology, stronger high-temperature stability and multiband compatibility.

Keywords

• spectrally selective radiation
• infrared stealth
• photonic crystals
• frequency selective surfaces
• fabry-perot cavities