Roll-to-roll fabrication of a large-area plasmonic metamaterial with a prescribed LWIR spectral signature

Smart Material Solutions, Inc. (SMS), Professor Mark Mirotznik’s group at the University of Delaware (UD), and MicroContinuum, Inc. have combined their unique skillsets to design plasmonic metamaterials with tunable LWIR absorption spectra and develop highly scalable roll-to-roll (R2R) processes to fabricate large-area metamaterials through a Phase II SBIR project that will conclude in May 2023. We now propose for Sequential Phase II funding to deploy these computational tools and fabrication processes to design and manufacture large-area plasmonic films with predetermined infrared spectral signatures for testing through programs such as Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiments (AEWE) and Maneuver Support & Protection Integrating eXperiments (MSPIX). Three different spectral signatures will be targeted: broadband absorption, narrowband absorption, and an IR camo pattern with emissivity that varies throughout the film. These advanced surfaces have value for MWIR and LWIR signature control, concealment, masking, thermal control for building and equipment, 5G/6G systems, micro/nano antenna arrays, EM shielding, friend-or-foe identification, space systems, and ground truth targets. The technology develops a platform to enable US-based advanced manufacturing for DoD and non-DoD applications, including spacecraft and clean-energy industries. The specific purpose of this Sequential Phase II project is to create large-scale demonstration surfaces for in-situ testing using the field-deployed sensor systems used by the warfighter. This will allow us to optimize our materials and processes towards the most relevant need to enable transition in later Phase III work.