System and method for writing to a magnetic shift register
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorStuart S. P. Parkin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A writing device can change the direction of the magnetic moment in a magnetic shift register, thus writing information to the domains or bits in the magnetic shift register. Associated with each domain wall are large magnetic fringing fields. The domain wall concentrates the change in magnetism from one direction to another in a very small space. Depending on the nature of the domain wall, very large dipolar fringing fields can emanate from the domain wall. This characteristic of magnetic domains is used to write to the magnetic shift register. When the domain wall is moved close to another magnetic material, the large fields of the domain wall change the direction of the magnetic moment in the magnetic material, effectively “writing” to the magnetic material.
Claims35
A data writing element, comprising:
- a wire that comprises magnetic domains that define at least one magnetic domain wall;
- and
- an energy source for passing an electric current through the wire, to selectively shift the magnetic domain wall along the wire;
- wherein shifting the magnetic wall generates a localized fringing field that causes data to be written on a medium that is disposed in proximity to the wire.
A data writing element, comprising:
- means, comprising magnetic domains, for defining at least one magnetic domain wall;
- and
- means for passing an electric current through the defining means, to selectively shift the magnetic domain wall along the defining means;
- wherein shifting the magnetic wall generates a localized fringing field that causes data to be written on a medium that is disposed in proximity to the defining means.
A method for writing data on a medium that is disposed in proximity to the wire, comprising:
- using a wire that comprises magnetic domains, for defining at least one magnetic domain wall;
- and
- passing an electric current through the wire, to selectively shift the magnetic domain wall along the wire;
- wherein shifting the magnetic wall generates a localized fringing field that causes data to be written on the medium.
A data writing element for writing data on a medium that is disposed in proximity to the data writing element, comprising:
- a wire that comprises a plurality of magnetic domains that define a plurality of magnetic domain walls along the wire;
- an input for passing an electric current through the wire, to selectively shift the magnetic domain walls along the wire;
- and
- wherein shifting the magnetic walls generates a localized fringing field that causes data to be selectively written on the medium by the localized fringing field.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.