Patent ID: 7486552

Claim:
A magnetic element comprising: a first pinned layer having a first magnetization oriented in a first direction; a first spacer layer, the first spacer layer being nonferromagnetic; and a free layer, the first spacer layer residing between the first pinned layer and the free layer; a second spacer layer, the second spacer layer being nonferromagnetic, the free layer being between the first spacer layer and the second spacer layer; and a second pinned layer having a second magnetization oriented in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction; wherein at least one of the magnetic element is configured to allow the free layer to be switched to each of a plurality of states when both a unidirectional write current is passed through the magnetic element and the magnetic element is subjected to a magnetic field corresponding to the each of the plurality of states and the magnetic element is configured to allow the free layer to be switched to each of the plurality of states utilizing a write current and an additional magnetic field that is applied from at least one of the first pinned layer and the second pinned layer substantially only if the write current is also applied.