Electrochromic and thermal-control broadband stealth device based on AZO/Ag/AZO configuration electrodes

Existing stealth technologies have limitations including single bands and functions, and static and passive applications, so that targets cannot remain stealthy if multi-source detection approaches are used. With the wide application of visible-infrared (Vis-IR) detection and guidance technologies, there is an urgent need to develop advanced techniques for visible smart stealth and Vis-IR compatible stealth. In view of this, an electrochromic and thermal-control broadband stealth device based on AZO/Ag/AZO configuration electrodes was developed. The influencing mechanisms of microstructural characteristics of the conducting layer in the AZO/Ag/AZO configuration on the visible transmission spectra and infrared (IR) reflection spectra were revealed. Furthermore, a conducting layer enabling IR stealth with high visible transmittance was optimized, on which a V2O5 multi-color electrochromic film layer was prepared via self-assembled deposition. In this way, the device integrates multiple optical mechanisms including the visible-induced transmission, IR radiation suppression, and electrochromism to modulate optical properties in multiple bands. A technical route that integrates visible smart stealth and active suppression of IR radiation was established, which is conducive to improving the adaptive fusion ability under a multi-domain background and multi-band compatible optical stealth.