Inflatable Metasurface Design for Microwave Reflection/Absorption and Infrared Camouflage

This article presents an inflatable ultralight dual-mode metasurface using conductive polyethylene (PE) film, conductive textile, and felt substrate. The metasurface integrates a 2.4-GHz square patch electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) structure with a movable PE film, affixed on a polyester (PET) layer positioned above the textile patch. When inflated, it functions as a reflective metasurface, achieving a 0° phase shift at 2.4 GHz and aiding heat dissipation for infrared camouflage. Experimental results show a 4-dB gain improvement with a monopole antenna. When deflated, the metasurface absorbs a maximum absorption of 99.78% at 2.4 GHz, maintaining 90% absorption from 2.34 to 2.46 GHz. These results confirm the versatility and efficacy of the proposed inflatable dual-mode metasurface in both reflective and absorptive states.