Magnetic device and method for locally controllably altering magnetization direction
AssigneeU.S. Philips Corporation
InventorsMark T. Johnson, Friedrich J. A. Den Broeder, Jelto W. Smits
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Abstract
A device and method for controllably locally altering the magnetization direction in a body of magnetic material, whereby a layer of at least one of non-metallic material and a semi-metallic material is disposed on a surface of the body, on which layer is provided a body of magnetic material having a fixed magnetization direction, whereby both bodies of magnetic material are magnetically coupled across the interposed layer, the nature of this magnetic coupling being locally alterable by means of locally subjecting the layer to a controllable electric field.
Claims16
A method of controllably locally altering the magnetization direction in a body of magnetic material, characterized in that a layer of at least one of a non-metallic material and a semi-metallic material is disposed on a surface of the body, on which layer is provided a body of magnetic material having a fixed magnetization direction, whereby both bodies of magnetic material may be magnetically coupled across the interposed layer, the magnetic coupling being locally alterable by means for locally subjecting the layer to a variable electric field.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.