Intelligent inverse design of Fabry-Pérot structured thermal control coatings for synergistic multispectral stealth and efficient heat dissipation

Satellite security requires advanced thermal control coatings capable of simultaneous stealth and heat dissipation. To achieve this, the coatings must be engineered to absorb strongly in the visible spectrum while being low-emissive in critical infrared detection bands (mid wave infrared (MWIR, 3–5 μm) and long-wave infrared (LWIR, 8–14 μm)) and high-emissive elsewhere for heat rejection. As these spectral functions are mutually coupled, inversely designing such a multifunctional system is formulated as a high-dimensional, non-convex optimization problem, which renders traditional design paradigms intractable. Here, we present an intelligent inverse design framework using differential evolution optimization with transfer matrix evaluation to jointly screen metallic candidates and globally optimize the thicknesses of a five-layer Fabry-Pérot structured coating, coupling material selection and structural optimization within a unified workflow. The optimized design reaches a visible band absorptivity of 0.94 together with low emissivity in the MWIR window 0.06 and in the LWIR window 0.18, while maintaining enhanced emissivity in the 5–8 μm band 0.51, demonstrating a balanced selective emissivity profile for multispectral stealth with radiative heat dissipation. Mechanistic analysis reveals that the Fabry-Pérot architecture enables cavity-enhanced emission in 5–8 μm, while effectively suppressing parasitic thermal radiation across the IR detection bands. Furthermore, the optimized coating demonstrates a marked improvement in thermal performance under simulated space heat loads. This work delivers an intelligent design pathway for multifunctional thermal control coatings that achieve synergistic multispectral-stealth and efficient radiative heat dissipation, resolving a key conflict in aerospace material design.