A magnetic field controlled guidestar for focusing light deep inside scattering media using optical phase conjugation. Compared with the optical and ultrasonic field, the magnetic field has an exceptional penetration depth. The magnetic particle guidestar has a high light-tagging efficiency, good biocompatibility, and a small diameter which enables a sharp and bright focusing deep inside biological tissue. This new method can benefit a wide range of biomedical applications including deep-tissue imaging, neural modulation, and targeted photothermal and photodynamic therapies.