Dynamic Regulation of Decoupled and Coupled Infrared and Microwave Responses Through Symmetry Breaking

Dynamic multi-band electromagnetic manipulation is essential for advanced intelligent perception and information integration. However, existing technologies are difficult to suppress signal crosstalk between different frequency ranges. Herein, we report a dynamic VO₂/SiO₂/VO₂ sandwich architecture that overcomes cross-band coupling by optimizing Fabry-Pérot resonance via thickness-induced symmetry breaking, strategically leveraging frequency-dependent skin depth disparity for synergistic control. Specifically, three operational types are realized by precisely engineering the structural symmetry-breaking degree. The infrared-selective modulation type utilizes substantial thickness asymmetry to decouple resonance modes, featuring wide-range infrared (IR) emissivity modulation (0.28–0.82) in 8–14 µm with minimal microwave response. The microwave-selective modulation type similarly exploits structural asymmetry to enable efficient modulation of both microwave absorption efficiency (0.66) and electromagnetic shielding effectiveness of 19.1 dB in X and Ku bands while maintaining negligible IR tunability. Finally, by reducing the thickness contrast to partially restore structural symmetry and enhance mode coupling, the dual-band synergistic modulation type, simultaneously delivers high-amplitude IR emissivity variation (0.54) and a microwave shielding effectiveness variation of 27.8 dB. This work reveals the fundamental role of symmetry modulation in governing the transition from decoupling to coupling performance, offering a universal design paradigm for next-generation integrated device development.