Intelligent adaptive infrared thermal camouflage: a new strategy driven by laser-electric co-modulation and neural network

Infrared camouflage, a critical stealth technology that evades detection by matching its infrared properties to the background, has seen innovative progress reported in PhotoniX by the teams of Academician Lan Jiang and Researcher Weina Han (Beijing Institute of Technology) and Researcher Xun Cao (Chinese Academy of Sciences). They proposed a method for adaptive infrared thermal camouflage using a multi-layer phase-change material device regulated by neural network-driven laser-electric co-modulation.

Centered on photonics and integrating thermal management, artificial intelligence, and micro-nano fabrication, the study advances infrared thermal camouflage toward intelligence and adaptability. A multi-layer Fabry-Pérot (F-P) resonant cavity structure based on GST and VO₂ phase-change materials was designed; leveraging the transverse electromagnetic resonance effect of surface micro-nano structures, the emissivity regulation range was significantly expanded. Ultrafast laser micro-nano processing technology was employed—utilizing its "optical knife" advantage for high-quality fabrication and "optical key" feature for multi-functional regulation—to achieve precise processing of phase-change material micro-structures and accurate modulation of their properties.

At the system level, a cascaded multi-channel closed-loop control system based on a Multi-Layer Perceptron Neural Network (MLPNN) was constructed. Through laser-electric co-modulation, it realized integrated "sensing-decision-making-control" active emissivity regulation, enabling the device to respond to complex environments in real time for adaptive infrared thermal camouflage.

This research breaks the bottlenecks of limited emissivity adjustment and slow response in traditional thermal camouflage, establishes a new paradigm of dynamically tunable, environment-adaptive intelligent stealth, and provides a forward-looking research path and implementable technical solution for multi-scenario thermal stealth and energy management.