Ultralow‐Metal‐Content Epsilon‐Mu‐Near‐Zero Metamaterials for Optically Transparent EMI Shielding

ABSTRACT Conventional electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding films rely on high loadings of conductive materials to achieve strong shielding effectiveness, but this approach inevitably reduces optical transmittance, increases haze, and compromises visual fidelity. Here, we report an optically transparent EMI shielding metamaterial, configured as an array of double‐shell hexagonal resonators with symmetric capacitive gaps. The metamaterial, implemented as a single thin Cu layer (300 nm) on bare glass, featured a 0.7% metal filling fraction yet attained an average visible transmittance of 91.2%, practically indistinguishable from that of uncoated glass. Despite this ultralow metal content, the metamaterial‐coated glass exhibited moderate EMI shielding, with reflection (∣S 11 ∣ 2 ) and transmission (∣S 21 ∣ 2 ) levels of −2.1 and −16.1 dB, respectively, at the target microwave frequency of 14.9 GHz. This shielding performance originated from an epsilon‐mu‐near‐zero resonance, as confirmed by extracted permittivity and permeability dispersions. Practical validation is demonstrated by integrating the metamaterial into a commercial radar system, where it completely blocked microwave signal detection. We believe that optically transparent EMI shielding will become crucial for emerging technologies that require visual access through the shielding layer, such as semiconductor inspection platforms and transparent displays.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Optical Materials
Published
2026-02-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/adom.202503114
Primary Topic
Electromagnetic wave absorption materials
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Ultralow‐Metal‐Content Epsilon‐Mu‐Near‐Zero Metamaterials for Optically Transparent EMI Shielding

Ho-Jun Lee, Kyoung‐Ho Kim, Run Hu, In‐Sung Jeon et al.
Advanced Optical Materials
Electromagnetic wave absorption materials
article

Ultralow‐Metal‐Content Epsilon‐Mu‐Near‐Zero Metamaterials for Optically Transparent EMI Shielding

Ho-Jun Lee, Kyoung‐Ho Kim, Run Hu, In‐Sung Jeon, Jun‐Young Kim, Eun‐Joo Lee, Ji‐Ho Yi, Sun‐Kyung Kim
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT Conventional electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding films rely on high loadings of conductive materials to achieve strong shielding effectiveness, but this approach inevitably reduces optical transmittance, increases haze, and compromises visual fidelity. Here, we report an optically transparent EMI shielding metamaterial, configured as an array of double‐shell hexagonal resonators with symmetric capacitive gaps. The metamaterial, implemented as a single thin Cu layer (300 nm) on bare glass, featured a 0.7% metal filling fraction yet attained an average visible transmittance of 91.2%, practically indistinguishable from that of uncoated glass. Despite this ultralow metal content, the metamaterial‐coated glass exhibited moderate EMI shielding, with reflection (∣S 11 ∣ 2 ) and transmission (∣S 21 ∣ 2 ) levels of −2.1 and −16.1 dB, respectively, at the target microwave frequency of 14.9 GHz. This shielding performance originated from an epsilon‐mu‐near‐zero resonance, as confirmed by extracted permittivity and permeability dispersions. Practical validation is demonstrated by integrating the metamaterial into a commercial radar system, where it completely blocked microwave signal detection. We believe that optically transparent EMI shielding will become crucial for emerging technologies that require visual access through the shielding layer, such as semiconductor inspection platforms and transparent displays.

Advanced Optical MaterialsVol. 14(8)
Kyung Hee University (KR), LSIS (South Korea) (KR), Adone (South Korea) (KR), Huazhong University of Science and Technology (CN)
Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Openalex Percentile: Top 69%
Electromagnetic wave absorption materials
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.