Researchers at the University of Illinois have demonstrated a method of producing fluorescent colored nanoparticles from silicon wafers. The new materials could yield microscopic lasers and put optical communications on chips.
By attaching biological materials to the nanoparticles, their location could be traced in the body by stimulating fluorescence with just two photons from infrared beams.

Researchers also hope to some day replace wires with optical interconnects and create tiny memory modules that can store information on single electrons but that can be read out with optics.