J. Mater. Sci. Technol. ›› 2026, Vol. 248: 126-134.DOI: 10.1016/j.jmst.2025.03.110

• Research article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Modulating electromagnetic response through the regulation of built-in electric fields

Chenming Lianga,b,1, Zhiling Houc,1, Martin C. Kooa,b, Feifei Xua,b, Shuang Baia,b, Yunxia Baia,b, Yu Zhanga,b, Bo Caia,b, Peiyan Zhaoa,b, Guangsheng Wanga,b,*   

  1. aState Key Laboratory of Bioinspired Interfacial Materials Science, Bioinspired Science Innovation Center, Hangzhou International Innovation Institute, Beihang University, Hangzhou 311115, China;
    bSchool of Chemistry, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China;
    cSchool of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing 100124, China
  • Received:2025-03-10 Revised:2025-03-23 Accepted:2025-03-24 Published:2026-03-20 Online:2025-06-23
  • Contact: *E-mail address: wanggsh@buaa.edu.cn (G. Wang)
  • About author:1 These authors contributed equally to this work.

Abstract: The construction of built-in electric fields (BIEF) in heterogeneous structures represents an effective approach for optimizing the electromagnetic (EM) parameters of composite materials. However, effectively regulating the BIEF intensity within the material matrix to better address the issues of dielectric constant frequency dependence and impedance mismatch remains a significant challenge. In this manuscript, a novel material Co@N-TiO2/TiN (Co@NTT), which utilizes doping to regulate the strength of the BIEF is meticulously fabricated. Both experimental and theoretical results confirm the interface charge redistribution induced by the strong BIEF, which not only effectively modulates the EM parameters but also subtly optimizes impedance matching. It exhibits good absorption capability across multiple frequency bands, with a minimum reflection loss of -62.2 dB in the C band and -67.4 dB in the Ku band. This work paves the way for the development of functional materials with tailored EM properties through space charge engineering.

Key words: Built-in electric fields, Interface polarization, Dielectric response, Electromagnetic properties