A way to control magnetism in semiconductors using an external electric field has been shown for the first time. This long-awaited result could lead to new types of information-storage devices. Information technology is rooted in semiconductors, such as silicon, and ferromagnetic materials, such as iron. Information processing and computation are based on semiconductor transistors and integrated circuits, and information is stored magnetically on high-density hard drives. Even the use of high-speed optical communications begins and ends with semiconductor lasers and photodetectors.
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