US Patent 7261940 - Core/shell nanoparticle with magnetic/optical properties

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7261940.html

There have been numerous applications exploiting both the magnetic properties and optical properties of nanostructures such as ultrahigh density magnetic storage using nanomagnets and bio-tagging using quantum dots. This patent form Los Alamos National Labs teaches the formation of a hybrid core/shell nanoparticle exploiting both magnetic and optical effects of nanomaterials useful for such applications as magnetically controlled optical emission. Claim 1 reads:

1. A composite nanoparticle comprising: a core of a material selected from the group consisting of a magnetic material and an inorganic semiconductor; and, a shell of a material selected from the group consisting of an inorganic semiconductor and a magnetic material, wherein said core and said shell are of differing materials and said composite nanoparticle is characterized as having multifunctional properties including magnetic properties from said magnetic material and optical properties from said inorganic semiconductor material.