Magnetically Responsive Nanostructures with Tunable Optical Properties

Stimuli-responsive materials can sense specific environmental changes and adjust their physical properties in a predictable manner, making them highly desired components for designing novel sensors, intelligent systems, and adaptive structures. Magnetically responsive structures have unique advantages in applications, as external magnetic stimuli can be applied in a contactless manner and cause rapid and reversible responses. In this Perspective, we discuss our recent progress in the design and fabrication of nanostructured materials with various optical responses to externally applied magnetic fields. We demonstrate tuning of the optical properties by taking advantage of the magnetic fields’ abilities to induce magnetic dipole–dipole interactions or control the orientation of the colloidal magnetic nanostructures. The design strategies are expected to be extendable to the fabrication of novel responsive materials with new optical effects and many other physical properties.