Hosta-inspired hierarchical metamaterials for electromagnetic absorption: synergistic design of composition and structure

Integrating intrinsic material properties with structural design to develop lightweight electromagnetic wave absorbers that simultaneously balance impedance matching and energy dissipation remains a significant challenge. Inspired by the sophisticated multi-scale light-harvesting strategies found in Hosta, this study proposes a methodology that synergizes the intrinsic characteristics of materials with the physical effects of their structural configuration. Driven by fully connected neural networks and refined through optimization via genetic algorithms, the optimized material achieves an absorption rate exceeding 90% across the extremely wide frequency band of 1–40 GHz. Remarkably, this performance is accomplished with an areal density of only 0.096 g/cm 2 and a physical thickness equivalent to about 1/20 λ max . Electromagnetic simulations reveal that the deliberate modulation of the structural phase successfully localizes the electromagnetic energy loss domains precisely within the material distribution regions. Simultaneously, the synergy of magnetoelectric properties ensures the efficient and rapid dissipation of this captured energy. This innovative approach to synergistic design offers exceptional generalizability, providing a robust theoretical framework and technical inspiration for the future development of next-generation, lightweight metamaterials designed for ultra-broadband absorption. By bridging the gap between microscopic material responses and macroscopic structural layouts, this research paves the way for advanced shielding and stealth technologies that require minimal weight and maximum bandwidth efficiency in complex electromagnetic environments.