Visible, infrared and laser multi-spectral compatible camouflage metasurface emitter based on ultrathin silver

• High visible transparency is enabled by optically transparent materials and ultrathin Ag films. • Multispectral camouflage is achieved with infrared reductions of 79.5 % and 83.2 % and high absorption at 10.6 μm. • Effective visible background blending and thermal management are demonstrated at elevated temperatures. Camouflage technology serves as a critical anti-reconnaissance tool, utilizing technical methods to minimize the likelihood of detection and identification by surveillance systems. Accordingly, the advancement of new camouflage technologies is a fundamental strategy to improving the survivability of military weapons and equipment. In this study, an optically transparent metasurface emitter consisting of Ag disk /SiO 2 /Ag/ZnS is designed and fabricated by virtue of the inherent absorption characteristics of transparent dielectric films and ultrathin Ag layers. This configuration integrates multispectral camouflage, covering the visible, infrared, and laser ranges, with effective radiative heat management. Relative to a blackbody reference (T = 300 K), the fabricated emitter demonstrates infrared signal reduction rates of 79.5 % and 83.2 % in the 3–5 μm and 8–14 μm detection bands, respectively, together with enhanced absorption performance at the 10.6 μm operating wavelength of CO 2 laser radar. The ultrathin Ag film ensures excellent optical transparency while maintaining its other functionalities. Experimental verification confirms that the emitter effectively dissipates heat through the non-atmospheric windows under high temperatures, with significantly lower surface temperatures observed compared to conventional broadband low-emissivity materials, indicating excellent thermal management performance. This work proposes an innovative approach for achieving multispectral-compatible camouflage, offering substantial potential for applications in observation windows of military equipment and related fields.