Issue Eur. Phys. J. Appl. Phys. Volume 28, Number 1, October 2004 Page(s) 79 - 81 Section Magnetism and Superconductivity DOI 10.1051/epjap:2004154 Published online 25 June 2004

Eur. Phys. J. Appl. Phys. 28, 79-81 (2004)
DOI: 10.1051/epjap:2004154

A high magnetic field sensor based on magnetic tunnel junctions

M. Hehn¹, G. Malinowski¹, M. Sajieddine², E. Jouguelet¹ and A. Schuhl<sup>1

1</sup>  Laboratoire de Physique des Matériaux, UMR CNRS 7556, BP 239, 54506 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex, France
²  Laboratoire de Physique des Matériaux, BP 523, 23000 Béni-Mellal, Morocco

hehn@lpm.u-nancy.fr

(Received: 4 February 2004 / Received in final form: 10 March 2004 / Accepted: 1st April 2004 / Published online: 25 June 2004)

Abstract
We used an in-plane magnetized electrode and a perpendicular to film plane magnetized multilayer electrode in a magnetic tunnel junction to generate the active part of a magnetic field sensor able to measure large fields. When the applied field is normal to the junction surface, the magnetization of the multilayer electrode is fixed while the moment of the in-plane magnetized electrode rotates towards the applied field. This generates a linear variation of tunnel junction resistance with the applied field. The use of tunnel junctions with all their known advantages makes this structure attractive for measuring large magnetic fields, of up to several kG.

PACS
85.75.Ss - Magnetic field sensors using spin polarized transport.

© EDP Sciences 2004

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