] Researchers have developed a process to create wires only
] 50 nanometers (billionths of a meter) thick. Made from
] silica, the same mineral found in quartz, the wires carry
] light in an unusual way. Because the wires are thinner
] than the wavelengths of light they transport, the
] material serves as a guide around which light waves flow.
] In addition, because the researchers can fabricate the
] wires with a uniform diameter and smooth surfaces down to
] the atomic level, the light waves remain coherent as they
] travel.

very nice...

pretty pictures here : http://www.nsf.gov/od/lpa/news/03/pr03147_images.htm