Researchers at the University of California San Diego, working with BAE Systems Space & Mission Systems, have developed a space-qualified optical metasurface measuring only six millimeters in diameter that could significantly reduce the size, complexity, and cost of future space-based solar observation instruments.

Metasurfaces use nanoscale structures to manipulate light in ways that traditional lenses and mirrors cannot, allowing multiple polarization measurements to be captured simultaneously.

The device was designed to improve the monitoring of solar magnetic fields, which are critical for predicting space weather events such as coronal mass ejections that can disrupt satellites, communications systems, and power grids on Earth.

Conventional space telescopes often rely on moving optical components to collect polarization data in multiple exposures, requiring expensive stabilization systems to compensate for spacecraft vibrations.

The new metasurface eliminates moving parts by splitting incoming sunlight into several polarization channels at the same time, enabling all necessary measurements to be captured in a single image.To validate the technology, the researchers integrated the component into a custom telescope and tested it at the Dunn Solar Telescope in New Mexico.The instrument successfully mapped magnetic fields within active sunspots.

When the results were compared with observations from NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite, the measurements were found to be nearly identical.The metasurface also passed rigorous vibration and temperature testing conducted by BAE Systems, achieving space-qualified status.

Supported by five years of NASA-funded development, the team has submitted a proposal for a mission concept study and hopes to eventually deploy the technology on a space mission.The research was published in Science Advances on June 10, 2026.