Patent ID: 7791937

Claim:
Magnetic memory system comprising an information layer and a sensor for cooperating with the information layer, the information layer comprising a pattern of magnetic bits constituting an array of bit locations, a bit magnetic field at a bit location representing a logical value, the bit magnetic field having a bit magnetic field strength and a bit magnetization direction the sensor comprising a magnetoresistive element comprising a stack of layers including a fixed magnetic layer and a free magnetic layer, the fixed magnetic layer having a fixed magnetization direction, the free magnetic layer having a magnetization axis along which the free magnetic layer retains a free magnetization direction in one of two stable magnetization directions, wherein a first bit magnetic field, at one of the bit locations represents a first logical value by providing a first resistance value in the magnetoresistive element due to the free magnetization direction being substantially parallel to the magnetization axis, and a second bit magnetic field at one of the bit locations represents a second logical value by providing a second resistance value in the magnetoresistive element due to the free magnetization direction being non-parallel to the magnetization axis.