Patent ID: 7697243
Filing Date: 2010-04-13
Classification: B82Y,G01R,G11B,H01F

Abstract:
1. A method of determining the strength and position of a magnetic field comprising the steps of: a) selecting a magnetically-soft, ferromagnetic material having an anisotropy constant less than 10 b) constructing one or more ferromagnetic members from said selected ferromagnetic material; c) employing said one or more ferromagnetic members to produce a magnetic sensor such that each ferromagnetic member from said magnetic sensor has a shape and size whereby only a single magnetic vortex is formed within each ferromagnetic member at remanence; d) exposing a vortex from a ferromagnetic member of said magnetic sensor to an external magnetic field; e) measuring an electrical resistance across two points on said magnetic sensor; f) calculating the strength of said external magnetic field from said measured electrical resistance; and g) said shape and said size is a circle having a thickness between about 8 nm and 150 nm and a diameter between about 100 nm and 2500 nm.