Patent ID: 7158354

Claim:
A magnetic detecting element comprising a multilayer laminate comprising: a free magnetic layer including a first free magnetic layer, a second free magnetic layer, and a nonmagnetic interlayer between the first free magnetic layer and the second free magnetic layer; a lower nonmagnetic material layer, a lower pinned magnetic layer, and a lower antiferromagnetic layer underlying the free magnetic layer; and an upper nonmagnetic material layer, an upper pinned magnetic layer, and an upper antiferromagnetic layer overlying the free magnetic layer; wherein current flows in a direction perpendicular to a surface of each layer of the multilayer laminate, and wherein β of a material constituting one of the first free magnetic layer and the second free magnetic layer has the same sign as β of magnetic materials constituting the lower pinned magnetic layer and the upper pinned magnetic layer, and β of a magnetic material of the other free magnetic layer has a different sign from β of the magnetic materials constituting the lower pinned magnetic layer and the upper pinned magnetic layer, β being a characteristic value of a magnetic material satisfying the expression: ρ↓/ρ↑=(1+β)/(1−β) (−1≦β≦1), where ρ↓ is specific resistance for minority conduction electrons, and ρ↓ is specific resistance for majority conduction electrons.