Embedded flexible and transparent double-layer nickel-mesh for high shielding efficiency

An efficient approach to obtain high shielding effectiveness (SE) in transparent shielding in an optical window field is proposed and demonstrated by fabricating an embedded double-layer metallic mesh (DLMM) comprised of randomly structured Ni meshes on both sides of a flexible substrate, employing a facile and low-cost double-sided nanoimprinting method. The unique nonperiodic random structure contributes to uniform diffraction and eliminates the Moiré fringe generated by double-layer periodic meshes, ensuring high imaging quality for optical applications. The designed DLMM films simultaneously achieve strong shielding in the X-band and high transmittance in the visible spectrum, demonstrating a high transmittance of 88.7% at the 550-nm wavelength and a SE of 46.9 dB at a frequency of 8.2 GHz. An ultra-high SE of 80 dB is achieved at 64.2% transmittance, which reveals the highest reported SE over a metallic mesh for transparent shielding, indicating the high potential for this transparent electromagnetic interference shielding material for practical optical applications.