Heterostructure photonic crystal selective thermal emitter for laser and infrared camouflage with heat dissipation

Multispectral camouflage faces growing urgency due to multimodal detection threats. To meet the spectral requirements for different bands, artificially designed selective spectral properties are needed. However, achieving a balance among simplicity of configuration, durability, spectral selectivity, and large-scale potential remains challenging, as well as achieving passive radiative cooling for effective thermal management. Here, we present a Ge (635 nm)/ZnS (1152 nm)/Ge (1260 nm)/ZnS (1141 nm)/Ge (656 nm) heterogeneous photonic crystal (HPC) selective thermal emitter for achieving low thermal emissivity camouflage ( =0.28, =0.24), low laser reflection at 10.6 μm (0.29), and radiative cooling within non-atmospheric window (0.70 at 5-7.5 μm). This emitter shows a 25 °C radiative cooling reduction than traditional low-emissivity Cu films at 350 °C. The emitter also has good angle and polarization independence, environmental durability, and can be manufactured on a large scale. This technology offers a cost-effective way for multispectral-compatible camouflage design and creates new opportunities for combining camouflage with thermal management. The HPC used for multispectral camouflage and its configuration.