In news from University Of California, Riverside, chemists there have developed tiny, nanoscale-size rods (nanorods) of iron oxide particles in the lab that respond to an external magnetic field by aligning themselves parallel to one another like a set of tiny flashlights turned in one direction, and displaying a brilliant color.
The report notes that applications of the technology could include high-definition pattern formation, posters, pictures, energy efficient color displays, and devices like traffic signals that routinely use a set of colors. Other potential applications are in bio- and chemical sensing as well as biomedical labeling and imaging.
Check out video of the technology here.
The research paves the way for fabricating magnetically responsive photonic structures with significantly reduced dimensions so that color manipulation with higher resolution can be realized.