"NASA Engineers Harness Physics to Perfect Light Focusing"

NASA engineers at the Goddard Space Flight Center are developing photon sieves, a technology that can focus extreme ultraviolet light, to capture small-scale features near the surface of the Sun. These sieves, made from super-thin membranes etched with precise holes, can resolve features 10 to 50 times smaller than what can currently be seen. The engineers have successfully produced silicon and niobium sieves, with the latter transmitting up to seven times more light. The technology will be tested in the VISORS CubeSat mission in 2024 and could pave the way for larger future missions.