Patent ID: 7064649

Claim:
A magnetoresistive layer system for use in one of a GMR sensor element, an AMR sensor element, and a gradiometer, the magnetoresistive layer system comprising: a layer sequence including at least two magnetic layers, wherein the at least two magnetic layers are magnetically soft layers made of a ferromagnetic material, and wherein a direction of magnetization in the magnetically soft layers is capable of being influenced by an external magnetic field; a non-magnetic electrically conductive intermediate layer arranged between the at least two magnetic layers; and at least one magnetically hard layer integrated in the magnetoresistive layer system at least in certain areas to apply a magnetic field to at least an area of a boundary surface between the at least two magnetic layers and the non-magnetic electrically conductive intermediate layer; wherein: the magnetic field of the at least one magnetically hard layer displaces an operating point in a characteristic curve of the magnetoresistive layer system, and an electrical resistance of the magnetoresistive layer system is changeable as a function of an external magnetic field acting on the magnetoresistive layer system.