Magnetic recording element, magnetic recording apparatus and recording method of information

A magnetic recording device including a memory array in which magnetic recording elements are disposed in matrix, the magnetic recording element comprising:

• a first fixed layer having a first face and a second face opposing each other and having a magnetization direction fixed in a direction penetrating the first face and the second face;
• a free layer having a third face and a fourth face opposing each other, having anisotropy field having a first value magnitude, having a magnetization easy axis and a magnetization hard axis both extending along the third face or the fourth face, and having a magnetization direction which changes according to a direction of a current flowing through the first face and the fourth face with a magnetic field applied to the free layer in a fixed direction or according to a direction of a magnetic field applied to the free layer with a current flowing through the first face and the fourth face in a fixed direction;
• a first intermediate layer consisting essentially of nonmagnetic material and provided between the second face and the third face;
• and
• a magnetic field generating layer configured to apply a magnetic field having magnitude smaller than the first value to the free layer along the magnetization hard axis.

An information recording method to a magnetic recording element which comprises a fixed layer, a free layer and a intermediate layer, the fixed layer having a first face and a second face opposing each other and having a magnetization direction fixed in a direction penetrating the first face and the second face, the free layer having a third face and a fourth face opposing each other, having anisotropy field having a first value magnitude, and having a magnetization easy axis and a magnetization hard axis both extending along the third face or the fourth face, the intermediate layer consisting essentially of nonmagnetic material and provided between the second face and the third face, the method comprising:

• applying a first magnetic field to the free layer along the magnetization hard axis of the free layer, the first magnetic field having magnitude smaller than anisotropy field of the free layer;
• and
• conducting application of a second magnetic field to the free layer and introduction of a first current in a direction penetrating the first face and the fourth face while the first magnetic field being applied to the free layer, a direction of the second magnetic field being fixed and the first current flowing in a direction according to a required direction of a magnetization of the free layer or the first current flowing in a fixed direction and a direction of the second magnetic field varying according to a required direction of a magnetization of the free layer.