Patent ID: 7710770
Filing Date: 2010-05-04
Classification: B82Y,G11C,H01F,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A serial data storage device comprising: a substrate; an array of nanowires of magnetic material arranged in three-dimensions on the substrate, wherein the nanowires extend in the y-direction and are spaced apart from each other in the x- and z-directions forming a stack of nanowire layers, wherein each nanowire is formed so as to be capable of supporting single magnetic domains along its length, the magnetic domains being separated by domain walls, wherein the nanowires have a plurality of domain wall pinning sites along their length; a magnetic field source arranged to generate an operating field capable of moving the domain walls along the nanowires between the pinning sites by action of a component that alternates between alignment and anti-alignment with a first direction along the nanowire; and a depinning signal generator arranged to alternately apply a depinning signal to pinning sites hosting head-to-head and tail-to-tail domain walls in synchrony with the alignment and anti-alignment of the operating field component with the first direction, thereby to move magnetic domains along the nanowire in the first direction by alternate movement of the head-to-head and tail-to-tail domain walls.