A new study from National Taiwan University reports a single-layer zigzag-type metallic glass film with precisely tunable emissivity for thermal infrared camouflage technology. A glancing-angle deposition method was used to fabricate the zigzag-type structure. According to the infrared lossy characteristics of metallic glass and the strong optical anisotropy induced by the zigzag microstructure, the absorptance/emissivity of the film is sensitive to the in-plane rotation angle and sample-tilt angles.
Compared with flat Au and flat metallic glass films, the zigzag-type metallic glass film exhibits a much broader tunability of absorptance/emissivity, ranging from 17.2% to 67.3%. By adjusting the φ, θ, and ψ angles, the emissivity can be precisely modulated with 1% accuracy. Thermal infrared images further demonstrate that the zigzag-type metallic glass film can match the apparent temperature of natural high-emissivity backgrounds such as soil and green leaves.
The apparent temperature similarity between the zigzag-type metallic glass film and the environmental background is greater than 97% at target temperatures from 93 to 260, indicating effective thermal infrared camouflage performance. Led by Distinguished Professor Hsuen-Li Chen in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at National Taiwan University, researchers demonstrate a simple glancing-angle deposition method for fabricating a zigzag-type structure that induces strong optical anisotropy in the infrared region.
The tunable absorptance/emissivity behavior enables precise control of thermal radiation. These results establish the zigzag-type metallic glass film as a simple, single-layer, and practical platform for dynamic thermal management and advanced thermal infrared camouflage applications. The study is published in Materials Horizons.
Provided by National Taiwan University