SPIN VALVE ELEMENT, AND ITS DRIVING METHOD

摘要

Intended is to prevent the overheat of a spin valve element. Provided is a driving method for feeding the spin valve element with a drive current thereby to acquire an oscillating signal. The driving method comprises the step of subjecting the drive current to an amplitude modulation with a frequency lower than the oscillation frequency of an oscillation signal. That amplitude modulation can be made into an ON-OFF modulation, and the period (ton) of the conducting state of the ON-OFF modulation is made to satisfy a relation of ton 2/a, if the a thermally diffusive portion has a thermal diffusivity (a) and a thickness (D).