Patent ID: 8488375

Claim:
A magnetic recording element comprising: a stacked body including: a first stacked unit including: a first ferromagnetic layer, magnetization of the first ferromagnetic layer being substantially fixed in a first direction being perpendicular to a first ferromagnetic layer surface; a second ferromagnetic layer recording data, a direction of magnetization of the second ferromagnetic layer being variable in directions perpendicular to a second ferromagnetic layer surface; and a first nonmagnetic layer provided between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer; and a second stacked unit including: a third ferromagnetic layer generating a magnetic field during writing, a direction of magnetization of the third ferromagnetic layer being variable in directions parallel to a third ferromagnetic layer surface; a fourth ferromagnetic layer, magnetization of the fourth ferromagnetic layer being substantially fixed in a second direction being perpendicular to a fourth ferromagnetic layer surface; and a second nonmagnetic layer provided between the third ferromagnetic layer and the fourth ferromagnetic layer, the first direction being opposite to the second direction and an electron whose spin is polarized by passing a current in a direction substantially perpendicular to a film surface of each layer of the stacked body is caused to act on the second ferromagnetic layer and the magnetic field generated from a precession of a magnetization of the third ferromagnetic layer is caused to act on the second ferromagnetic layer to enable a direction of magnetization of the second ferromagnetic layer to be determined to a direction in accordance with a direction of the current.