A superconductive magnetoresistive memory element using controlled exchange interaction

Abstract

A memory device that can be switched between the normal state and superconducting state by an external magnetic field is proposed. The device consists of a superconducting/double magnetic (SM1M2) trilayer and is switched in a manner analogous to giant magnetoresistive memory devices. Using Usadel equations it is shown that the superconducting transition temperature of the device changes when the magnetic configurations of magnetizations of the two lower layers are switched between parallel and antiparallel. Appropriate design parameters are discussed and the materials issues analyzed. © 1997 American Institute of Physics.