Patent ID: 8716817

Claim:
A magnetic memory element comprising: a stacked body, the stacked body including: a first stacked unit including: a first ferromagnetic layer, a magnetization of the first ferromagnetic layer being fixed in a first direction having a component perpendicular to a film surface of the first ferromagnetic layer; a second ferromagnetic layer being stacked with the first ferromagnetic layer along a stacking direction, a direction of a magnetization of the second ferromagnetic layer being variable in directions perpendicular to a film surface of the second ferromagnetic layer; and a first nonmagnetic layer provided between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer; and a second stacked unit stacked with the first stacked unit along the stacking direction, the second stacked unit including: a third ferromagnetic layer, a direction of a magnetization of the third ferromagnetic layer being variable in directions parallel to a film surface of the third ferromagnetic layer; a fourth ferromagnetic layer stacked with the third ferromagnetic layer along the stacking direction, a magnetization of the fourth ferromagnetic layer being fixed in a second direction having a component perpendicular to a film surface of the fourth ferromagnetic layer; and a second nonmagnetic layer provided between the third ferromagnetic layer and the fourth ferromagnetic layer, a cross-sectional area of the third ferromagnetic layer being smaller than a cross-sectional area of the first stacked unit when cut along a plane perpendicular to the stacking direction, a direction of the magnetization of the second ferromagnetic layer being set to a direction in accordance with a direction of a current by causing an electron whose spin is polarized by passing the current through the stacked body along the stacking direction to act on the second ferromagnetic layer and by causing a rotating magnetic field generated from a precession of the magnetization of the third ferromagnetic layer to act on the second ferromagnetic layer, the current being flowed through the first stacked unit and the second stacked unit.