MAGNETIC RECORDING ELEMENT AND MAGNETIC RECORDING DEVICE USING THE SAME

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the asymmetry of reversing currents by reducing reversing currents for reversing a magnetizing direction from parallel to anti-parallel when reversing the magnetizing direction through direct drive by currents.

SOLUTION: A magnetic recording element records information by passing spin-polarized electrons polarized by spinning through a magnetic body. The magnetic recording element comprises a fixed layer FP made of a ferromagnetic material of which the magnetizing direction is virtually fixed; a recording layer FF made of a ferromagnetic material of which the magnetizing direction is reversed by the action of spin-polarized electrons, and which has a first atomic potential against majority spin band electrons and a second atomic potential against minority spin band electrons; a spacer layer SP which is formed between the fixed layer FP and the recording layer FF and is made of a nonmagnetic material; a cap layer CP of 3 nm or less in thickness which is made of a nonmagnetic material having a third atomic potential that is lower than the medium value between the first and second atomic potentials; and a reflective layer REF of 20 nm or less in thickness which is made of nonmagnetic material having a fourth atomic potential different from the third atomic potential.

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