Deep learning-assisted active metamaterials with heat-enhanced thermal transport

Abstract: Heat management is crucial for state-of-the-art applications such as passive radiative cooling, thermally adjustable wearables, and camouflage systems. Their adaptive versions, to cater to varied requirements, lean on the potential of adaptive metamaterials. Existing efforts, however, feature with highly anisotropic parameters, narrow working-temperature ranges, and the need for manual intervention, which remain long-term and tricky obstacles for the most advanced self-adaptive metamaterials. To surmount these barriers, we introduce heat-enhanced thermal diffusion metamaterials powered by deep learning. Such active metamaterials can automatically sense ambient temperatures and swiftly, as well as continuously, adjust their thermal functions with a high degree of tunability. They maintain robust thermal performance even when external thermal fields change direction, and both simulations and experiments demonstrate exceptional results. Furthermore, we design two metadevices with on-demand adaptability, performing distinctive features with isotropic materials, wide working temperatures, and spontaneous response. This work offers a framework for the design of intelligent thermal diffusion metamaterials and can be expanded to other diffusion fields, adapting to increasingly complex and dynamic environments.