Controlled synthesis of samarium iron oxide for dual-function laser and radar stealth applications

In modern detection technology, the integration of lidar and microwave radar significantly increases the risk of exposure for high-value military equipment. Developing materials with multi-band stealth compatibility is a critical countermeasure to mitigate detection risks. In this study, a brownish-yellow samarium iron oxide material compatible with both 1.06 μm laser stealth and radar stealth was synthesized using the co-precipitation method, whose properties can be tuned by varying the raw material ratios. When the samarium-to-iron (Sm:Fe) ratio was 3:7, the primary crystalline phase was Sm₃Fe₅O₁₂. Conversely, at Sm:Fe ratios of 1:1, the primary crystalline phase shifted to perovskite-type SmFeO₃. Notably, Sm₃Fe₅O₁₂ material, prepared with a samarium-to-iron molar ratio of 3:7 and sintered at 800°C, demonstrated a reflectivity of 29.6 % at 1064 nm and excellent microwave absorption performance at 14.64 GHz, achieving a minimum reflection loss (RL_min) of −24.56 dB at a thickness of 4 mm and the effective absorption bandwidth of 1.36 GHz (13.76–15.12 GHz). This study provides a simple method for synthesizing brownish – yellow magnetic samarium iron oxide, which shows wide application in laser stealth, radar stealth and visual camouflage in plateau desert environments.