Patent ID: 7280456

Claim:
A method comprising: detecting a variation in resistance within a layered material stack in response to a scanning and injection of a non-contacting, remotely sourced electron stream into the layered material stack, the layered material stack having a first conductive contact layer, a second conductive contact layer, a variable resistive layer and a fixed resistive layer being positioned between the first and second conductive contact layers, and the variation in resistance within the layered material stack being based on one of a first resistive state and a second resistive state of the variable resistive layer; wherein detecting the variation in resistance within the layered material stack includes: detecting the first resistive state of the variable resistive layer in response to a distribution ratio of electrons from the electron stream flowing toward the first conductive contact layer; and detecting the second resistive state of the variable resistive layer in response to a distribution ratio of electrons from the electron stream flowing toward the second conductive contact layer; generating a first magnetic field and a second magnetic field within a transformer in response to the variations in resistance from within the layered material stack when the electron stream is scanned across the layered material stack, the transformer being operatively coupled to the first and second conductive contact layers; and generating a differential output signal within the transformer based on the first and second magnetic fields, the differential output signal being associated with one of the first and second resistive states of the variable resistive layer.