These anisotropic collective resonant structures may be harnessed to impart anisotropic material properties in an otherwise isotropic material. For example, nanoparticles near their individual resonant frequency have large near-field enhancement as well as large heat generation through absorption and dissipation of the energy of the incident light. We can use monochromatic light to selectively excite only the particles that resonate near that frequency, and these particles will be arranged in the anisotropic patterns characterized in Figures and. This strategy has been previously demonstrated for small fractal aggregates of gold nanoparticles. This generates an anisotropic spatial distribution of electric field and temperature throughout the material which can, for example, create an anisotropic increase in the ionic or electronic conductivity along the path of resonating nanoparticles.