Patent ID: 8406045

Claim:
A magnetic memory device comprising a magnetic element including: a presetting fixed layer having a fixed layer magnetization fixed in a direction substantially perpendicular to a plane of the presetting fixed layer; a fixed layer having a fixed layer magnetization fixed in a direction substantially in a plane of the fixed layer; a free layer between the presetting fixed layer and fixed layer having a free layer magnetization with in-plane anisotropy; a first nonmagnetic spacer layer between the presetting fixed layer and the free layer; and a second nonmagnetic spacer layer between the free layer and the fixed layer; and circuitry configured to apply a presetting current pulse and a write current pulse during a write operation, wherein: the presetting current pulse includes a current between the presetting fixed layer and free layer that presets the magnetization of the free layer magnetization at some angle away from an easy axis direction utilizing a spin transfer torque, the write current pulse includes a current between the free layer and fixed layer that reverses direction of magnetization of the free layer utilizing a spin transfer torque, and the circuitry is configured to apply the write current pulse sequentially after a beginning of the presetting current pulse and before the magnetization of the free layer relaxes back to be substantially parallel with the anisotropy of the free layer.