Magnetic logic units configured to measure magnetic field direction

摘要

An apparatus includes circuits, a field line configured to generate a magnetic field based on an input, a sensing module configured to determine a parameter of each circuit, and a magnetic field direction determination module configured to determine an angular orientation of the apparatus relative to an external magnetic field based on the parameter. Each circuit includes multiple magnetic tunnel junctions. Each magnetic tunnel junction includes a storage layer having a storage magnetization direction and a sense layer having a sense magnetization direction configured based on the magnetic field. Each magnetic tunnel junction is configured such that the sense magnetization direction and a resistance of the magnetic tunnel junction vary based on the external magnetic field. The parameter varies based on the resistances of the multiple magnetic tunnel junctions. The magnetic field direction determination module is implemented in at least one of a memory or a processing device.

主权项

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a plurality of circuits, each of the plurality of circuits having a distinct angular orientation and including multiple magnetic tunnel junctions, each magnetic tunnel junction being configured such that a resistance of each magnetic tunnel junction varies in response to a magnetic field; and a field line configured to generate a magnetic field for configuring an operating point of each of the plurality of circuits based on a current flow through the field line, wherein the field line includes a plurality of portions, each of the plurality of portions disposed adjacent to a corresponding one of the plurality of circuits, and each of the plurality of portions being configured such that the current flow through each of the plurality of portions has an angular orientation corresponding to the distinct angular orientation of the corresponding one of the plurality of circuits; wherein: each magnetic tunnel junction includes a storage layer having a storage magnetization and a sense layer having a sense magnetization; and the operating point of each of the plurality of circuits is configured such that for a first subset of the multiple magnetic tunnel junctions, the sense magnetization is substantially aligned with the storage magnetization at the operating point, and for a second subset of the multiple magnetic tunnel junctions, the sense magnetization is substantially anti-aligned with the storage magnetization at the operating point.