The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 21, 2004
Filed:
Feb. 15, 2000
Kazuhito Tsukagoshi, Saitama, JP;
Bruce William Alphenaar, Cambridge, GB;
Hiroshi Mizuta, Milton, GB;
Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A magnetoelectric device responsive to an applied magnetic field, e.g. for use as a reading head for data stored in magnetic storage media, comprises first and second ferromagnetic regions ( ) with a channel region ( ) between them, the ferromagnetic regions being configured so that charge carriers with a particular spin polarization which can pass through the first region, pass through the second region as a function of the relative orientations of magnetization of the ferromagnetic regions produced by the applied magnetic field such that the device exhibits a conductivity as a function of the strength of the applied field. The channel region ( ) includes a nanotube ( ) which may be formed of carbon, configured to provide a quasi-one-dimensional channel to cause charge carriers which pass through the first ferromagnetic region to maintain their spin polarization as they pass towards the second ferromagnetic region. In an alternative embodiment a deposited carbon layer ( ) is used in the channel region.