US Patent 7655942 - Programmable quantum dot fiber

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7655942.html

Wil McCarthy is a science-fiction writer and inventor who has patented a type of programmable matter based on quantum dots. While the enablement of the technology appeared speculative to me it seems to be under development by RavenBrick LLC to create electrochromic effects. Claim 1 reads:

1. A device comprising

a bulk material;

a plurality of artificial atoms distributed within said bulk material in a configuration designed to have a doping effect on said bulk material; and

a plurality of control paths distributed within said bulk material;

wherein each of the plurality of control paths is capable of carrying a respective quantity of energy; and

a subset of the plurality of artificial atoms is operatively coupled with a respective subset of the plurality of control paths, wherein the bulk material further comprises a plurality of fibers and wherein a subset of the plurality of artificial atoms forms a structural part of a subset of the plurality of fibers.