Adaptive visible-infrared camouflage with wide-range radiation control for extreme ambient temperatures

Abstract Recent advancements in reconnaissance technologies necessitate the development of adaptive camouflage that effectively operates across multiple wavebands and scenarios. However, traditional adaptive camouflage technologies are predominantly limited to dynamic control of a single band in visible (VIS) or infrared (IR) band. In this study, we propose an integrated platform that acheives decoupled, dynamic control of visible and infrared signatures under extreme ambient temperatures. This device features a thermochromic (TCM) layer on top, a multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)-based emissivity-electrochromic tri-layer structure in the middle, and a thermoelectric device (TED) at the bottom. The IR-transparent TCM layer enables a color conversion from green to yellow at 28 °C, suitable for VIS camouflage in oasis and desert environments. Additionally, the device features an emissivity regulation from 0.44 to 0.84 (8–14 μm) and surface temperature adjustments between 10 °C and 60 °C, resulting in an impressive radiative temperature difference of 67.7 °C (-21.6 °C to 46.1 °C). The outstanding performance of our VIS-IR adaptive camouflage device illustrates its feasibility in extreme environments with significant diurnal temperature variations. The proposed device provides a new strategy in VIS-IR adaptive camouflage, paving the way for further advancements in camouflage device design and expanding its applications.