Infrared-Transparent Polymer Nanofiber Networks for Polarization Camouflage

Conventional thermal camouflage often suffers from severe Fresnel-induced polarization splitting at large observation angles, rendering targets conspicuous to polarimetric detection. Existing nanophotonic solutions are hindered by narrow spectral bands, coupled optical responses, and poor scalability. Here, we demonstrate a scalable infrared polarization camouflage strategy utilizing electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN) nanofiber networks. The networks exhibit a high transmittance up to 95% in the long-wave infrared (LWIR, 8–14 μm) range, which can preserve the thermal intensity characteristics of the targets below. Simultaneously, interstitial pores trigger intense multiple volume scattering, operating as a depolarizer that suppresses the degree of linear polarization (DoLP) of thermal emission. This mechanism effectively decouples thermal and polarimetric characteristics, paving a cost-effective pathway for next-generation compatible camouflage and further integration with wearable thermal management applications.