The iron oxide commonly used as a component of ferrites, which are characterized by a very high level of electrical resistivity, is ferrosoferric oxide. Ferrites are often utilized in memory storage systems for computers and as coatings for certain types of recording media, such as magnetic tape. Recently, magnetic iron oxide has been of significant scientific interest, making headlines in 2003 for its starring role in the first three-dimensional assembly of magnetic and semiconducting nanoparticles. This momentous assembly, which also involved lead selenide, was primarily the achievement of Franz Redl and his colleagues at IBM, Columbia University, and the University of New Orleans. The binary superlattice that was formed by magnetic iron oxide and semiconducting lead selenide may eventually help revolutionize the telecommunications industry, since researchers are currently investigating the new magneto-optic phenomena demonstrated by the material in order to develop new optical modulators and switches that could serve as the foundation for future technologies in the field.