Researchers at the University of Michigan have created a device that enables them to control the flow of electrons through a semiconductor using only laser light—no electrical power source required. The device was built to explore fundamental physics and realize a previously unobserved behavior, but it could also open doors for new applications in areas that bridge optics and electronics, including sensing, imaging and telecommunications.

The paper is published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

The phenomenon could help improve how signals are sent through and between devices, as well as create new opportunities to store more information in those signals.