The success of spintronics — the science and technology of storing, processing, sensing and communicating information using the quantum mechanical spin degree of freedom of an electron — is critically dependent on the ability to inject, detect and manipulate spins in semiconductors either by incorporating ferromagnetic materials into device architectures or by using external magnetic and electric fields. In spintronics, the controlled generation and manipulation of spin polarization in nonmagnetic semiconductors is required for the design of spin-sensitive devices ranging from...