We report the design, fabrication and characterization of ultralight highly
emissive metaphotonic structures with record-low mass/area that emit thermal
radiation efficiently over a broad spectral (2 to 35 microns) and angular (0-60
degrees) range. The structures comprise one to three pairs of alternating
nanometer-scale metallic and dielectric layers, and have measured effective 300
K hemispherical emissivities of 0.7 to 0.9. To our knowledge, these structures,
which are all subwavelength in thickness are the lightest reported metasurfaces
with comparable infrared emissivity. The superior optical properties, together
with their mechanical flexibility, low outgassing, and low areal mass, suggest
that these metasurfaces are candidates for thermal management in applications
demanding of ultralight flexible structures, including aerospace applications,
ultralight photovoltaics, lightweight flexible electronics, and textiles for
thermal insulation
