Multi-material continuous fiber reinforced metastructures: Innovative design for enhanced broadband electromagnetic wave absorption and robust mechanical load-bearing

3D metastructures offer compelling potential for high-performance electromagnetic (EM) wave absorption, yet their inability to concurrently deliver robust mechanical load-bearing capacity and enclosed structural integrity hinders their direct application in radar absorbing mobility platforms. Herein, we propose a novel multifunctional hybrid metastructure based on continuous fiber reinforcement (MHMCF) that serves as a seamlessly integrated component. By leveraging the complementary EM and mechanical properties of continuous glass fibers and carbon fibers within an optimized sandwich architecture, the design enables concurrent EM absorption and structural robustness. Co-optimized via a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm, this design maximizes EM absorption bandwidth and attenuation strength. The broadband EM response is systematically explored through component variation and parametric tuning, elucidating the EM wave absorption mechanism through impedance matching and field distribution analysis. Crucially, MHMCF achieves single-step fabrication through multi-material 3D printing, eliminating post-assembly. Our results demonstrate that the continuous fibers enhance the EM loss and load-bearing characteristics, leading to exceptional broadband and wide-angle EM wave absorption (2–18 GHz, 0–75°), high bending strength (44 MPa), and large flexural modulus (2882 MPa). This work establishes a new designing paradigm for panel-integrated metastructures, offering a viable strategy to achieve concurrent EM stealth and structural robustness in next-generation aerospace systems via multi-material synergy and architectural optimization.