Contactless data communication using in-plane magnetic fields, and related systems and methods

An in-plane magnetic field-based contactless transmitter, comprising:

• a substrate;
• a first dipole coil;
• a second dipole coil, wherein the first dipole coil and the second dipole coil are disposed relative to one another so as to produce a pair of antipodal magnetic dipoles;
• and
• a drive circuit operably associated with the first dipole coil and the second dipole coil and configured to:
• receive a logic input having a logical state;
• drive the first dipole coil and the second dipole coil to generate the pair of antipodal magnetic dipoles;
• and
• set a magnetic polarity of the pair of antipodal magnetic dipoles in accordance with the logical state of the logic input.

An in-plane magnetic field-based contactless receiver comprising:

• a substrate;
• a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) disposed in-plane to the substrate and having a resistance, the MTJ comprising:
• a reference layer defining a first easy axis in-plane to the substrate such that a first magnetization of the reference layer is oriented along the first easy axis;
• and
• a free layer defining a second easy axis substantially orthogonal to the first easy axis and in-plane to the substrate, wherein the free layer is configured such that a second magnetization of the free layer is switchable between being oriented in a first direction around the second easy axis to provide the resistance of the MTJ in a first resistive state and being oriented in a second direction around the second easy axis to provide the resistance of the MTJ in a second resistive state;
• and
• a sense circuit configured to sense the resistance of the MTJ.

An in-plane magnetic field-based contactless receiver comprising:

• means for defining a first easy axis in-plane to a substrate such that a first magnetization is oriented along the first easy axis;
• means for defining a second easy axis substantially orthogonal to the first easy axis and in-plane to the substrate such that a second magnetization is switchable between being oriented in a first direction along the second easy axis to provide a resistance in a first resistive state and being oriented in a second direction along the second easy axis to provide the resistance in a second resistive state;
• and
• means for sensing the resistance.

An in-plane contactless method of receiving data comprising:

• providing a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) disposed in-plane to a substrate and having a resistance, wherein the MTJ includes:
• a reference layer defining a first easy axis in-plane to the substrate such that a first magnetization of the reference layer is oriented along the first easy axis;
• and
• a free layer defining a second easy axis substantially orthogonal to the first easy axis and in-plane to the substrate;
• orienting a second magnetization of the free layer such that the second magnetization is oriented in a first direction around the second easy axis to provide the resistance of the MTJ in a first resistive state;
• orienting the second magnetization such that the second magnetization is oriented in a second direction around the second easy axis to provide the resistance of the MTJ in a second resistive state;
• and
• sensing the resistance of the MTJ.

A contactless communication device comprising:

• a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ);
• a pair of coils configured to produce a pair of antipodal magnetic dipoles, wherein the pair of coils is disposed relative to the MTJ such that the pair of antipodal magnetic dipoles generates a magnetic field in-plane to the MTJ;
• and
• a drive circuit configured to:
• drive the pair of coils to produce the pair of antipodal magnetic dipoles;
• and
• adjust a magnetic field orientation of the magnetic field in-plane within the MTJ.

A method of contactless data communication comprising:

• providing a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) disposed in-plane to a substrate;
• producing a pair of antipodal magnetic dipoles such that the pair of antipodal magnetic dipoles generates a magnetic field in-plane to the MTJ;
• and
• adjusting a magnetic field orientation of the magnetic field.