A flexible metamaterial absorber with temperature-insensitive design at microwave frequencies

Abstract Developing a metamaterial absorber (MA) with both flexibility and temperature insensitivity continues to be a challenge in the field of radar stealth. In this paper, we propose a compensation method for designing flexible and temperature-insensitive MA. This method is revealed through the relationship between the square resistance of the resistive film, the permittivity of the substrate, and the temperature. Importantly, the compensation method is applicable to both the MA in the plane state and the bending state. By utilizing the benefits of the compensation mechanism and the flexible designability of the bilayer cross-shaped structure, the flexible MA proposed in this paper can achieve temperature-insensitive absorption across a broad frequency range. Experimental results indicate that the absorption peaks achieve an absorptivity greater than 90% within the frequency of 7.2–9.4 GHz, exhibiting excellent temperature stability from 25 °C to 300 °C. In comparison to previous studies on flexible MAs, this design offers a distinct advantage in high-temperature environments and provides valuable guidelines for the design of integrated multi-functional absorbers in practical applications.