Superlattice and magnetism directed by the size and shape of nanocrystals

With a baton the general directs soldiers and the conductor musicians, and in the nanoworld the rodlike shape also means control, as this form enhances magnetic and coercive properties of crystalline aggregates. Also reported here is a tunable synthetic method, in which the overall shape of the crystal is determined by a balance of kinetically and thermodynamically controlled growth mechanisms. The graphic shows one example of the degree of ordering available in the crystalline through this method.