Nanomagnetism—nascent or fully formed?

Bulk nanocomposite magnets have already brought a revolution in terms of energy efficiency and miniaturisation, and the science and technology is very well developed. The interdisciplinary base which characterises nanotechnology opens up a very wide range of further possibilities in nanomagnetism. The use of advanced lithographic processing and self-assembly techniques can produce structures which mimic nature or go beyond it. The implications for information technology, sensing, bioscience and medicine will keep nanomagnetics at the forefront of scientific study and technology uptake for the foreseeable future.