Patent ID: 7714399

Claim:
A magnetic memory element comprising: a first pinned layer including ferromagnetic material and having a fixed magnetization direction; a second memory layer including ferromagnetic material and having a variable magnetization direction; a first memory layer provided between the first pinned layer and the second memory layer, including ferromagnetic material, and having a variable magnetization direction; a first intermediate layer provided between the first pinned layer and the first memory layer and made of nonmagnetic material; a second intermediate layer provided between the first memory layer and the second memory layer and made of nonmagnetic material; a pair of electrodes electrically connected to pass a current between the first pinned layer and the second memory layer; and a magnetic field application section for applying magnetic field to the second memory layer, the magnetization direction of the first memory layer taking a first direction when the current exceeds a first threshold in a first polarity, and taking a second direction opposite to the first direction when the current exceeds a second threshold in a second polarity, and the magnetization direction of the second memory layer being changed to one of a third direction and a fourth direction depending on the magnetic field applied by the magnetic field application section without changing the magnetization direction of the first memory layer.