Abstract: An electronic circuit for measuring an angle and an intensity of an external magnetic field, includes: first and second magnetic field sensing units having sensing axes substantially orthogonal to each other; a voltage generator supplying a synchronization signal, a first voltage waveform to the first magnetic field sensing unit and a second voltage waveform to the second magnetic field sensing unit; a signal conditioning unit configured for adding the first and second sensing output signals and outputting a conditioned signal. The first and second voltage waveforms have substantially the same amplitude and frequency and are phase shifted by about 90° with respect to each other. The conditioned signal and the synchronization signal are inputted into a magnetic field angle detection unit configured for measuring a phase shift between the conditioned signal and the synchronization signal and for determining the angle of the external magnetic field from the measured phase shift.

Abstract: Magnetic current sensor, including: a sensor bridge circuit including a first and second half-bridges, each including two series-connected and diagonally opposed tunnel magnetoresistive (TMR) sensor elements, the TMR sensor elements including a reference layer oriented a single predetermined direction and a sense layer having a sense magnetization; a field line configured for passing a field current generating a magnetic field adapted for orienting the sense magnetization of the diagonally opposed TMR sensor elements of the first half-bridge and of the diagonally opposed TMR sensor elements of the second half-bridge in an opposite direction; such that a non-null differential voltage output between the TMR sensor elements of the first half-bridge and the TMR sensor elements of the second half-bridge is measurable when the field current is passed in the field line; the differential voltage output being insensitive to the presence of an external uniform magnetic field.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive element for a magnetic sensor, the magnetoresistive element including a tunnel barrier layer between a reference layer having a fixed reference magnetization and a sense layer having a free sense magnetization, wherein the sense magnetization includes a stable vortex configuration. The magnetoresistive element further includes a reference pinning layer in contact with the reference layer and pining the reference magnetization by exchange-bias at a first blocking temperature. The magnetoresistive element further includes a sense pinning layer in contact with the sense layer and pining the sense magnetization by exchange-bias at a second blocking temperature lower that the first blocking temperature. Additionally, a method for manufacturing the magnetoresistive element.

Abstract: Magnetic angular sensor device destined to sense an external magnetic field, the sensor device including a plurality of magnetic sensor elements, each sensor element including a magnetic tunnel junction containing a ferromagnetic reference layer having a reference magnetization that is pinned in a pinning direction, a ferromagnetic sense layer having a sense magnetization that can be oriented in an external magnetic field, and a tunnel barrier spacer layer, between the reference layer and the sense layer; wherein the sense layer of at least a portion of said plurality of sensor elements comprises an in-plane uniaxial sense magnetic anisotropy having an easy axis that is aligned substantially parallel to the pinning direction, such that an angular deviation in the alignment of the direction of the sense magnetization in the external magnetic field is minimized for a range of external magnetic field.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive element for a 2D magnetic sensor, the magnetoresistive element including a tunnel barrier layer included between a reference layer having a reference magnetization and a sense layer having a sense magnetization. The sense layer includes a sense synthetic antiferromagnetic structure including a first sense sublayer in contact with the tunnel barrier layer and separated from a second sense sublayer by a first non-magnetic spacer layer such that the first sense sublayer is antiferromagnetically coupled to the second sense sublayer. The sense layer is configured such that a sense magnetic ratio ?M defined as: ? M = M s F M 2 t F M 2 ? M s F M 1 t F M 1 M s F M 2 t F M 2 + M s F M 1 t F M 1 wherein MSFM1 and MSFM2 are the spontaneous magnetizations of the first and second sense sublayers and tFM1 and tFM2 are the thicknesses of the first and second sense sublayers; and wherein the sense magnetic ratio is between 0.1 and 0.25.

Abstract: A magnetic sensor including a plurality of magnetoresistive elements; each magnetoresistive element including a ferromagnetic layer having a magnetization that is orientable at or above a threshold temperature; the magnetic sensor further includes a plasmonic structure destined to be irradiated by electromagnetic radiation and including a spatially periodic plasmonic array of metallic structures. The period of the plasmonic array and the lateral dimension of the metallic structures are adjusted to obtain plasmon resonance of the plasmonic structure for a given wavelength of the electromagnetic radiation. The plasmonic array is arranged in the magnetic sensor such as to heat the first ferromagnetic layer at or above the threshold temperature, from the enhanced absorption of the electromagnetic radiation by plasmon resonance. The present disclosure further concerns a system including the sensor and an emitting device configured to emit electromagnetic radiation.

Abstract: A magnetic sensing circuit includes a circuit portion including: a main half-bridge including series-connected main tunnel magnetoresistive sensor elements TMR1 and TMR2; a first auxiliary half-bridge connected in parallel to the main half-bridge and including series-connected auxiliary tunnel magnetoresistive sensor elements TMR3 and TMR4 with an output voltage emerging from the connection between TMR1 and TMR3 and between TMR2 and TMR4; wherein a reference magnetization of the magnetoresistive sensor element TMR1 and TMR3 are respectively oriented substantially antiparallel with respect to a reference magnetization of the magnetoresistive sensor element TMR2 and TMR4; and wherein said first auxiliary half-bridge has a sensing axis that differs from the sensing axis of the main half bridge by an angle of about 180°/n, where n is the harmonic number to be canceled. The magnetic sensing circuit allows for sensing of external magnetic fields having high magnitude, with reduced angular error.

Abstract: Magnetic angular sensor element destined to sense an external magnetic field, including a magnetic tunnel junction containing a ferromagnetic pinned layer having a pinned magnetization, a ferromagnetic sensing layer, and a tunnel magnetoresistance barrier layer; the ferromagnetic sensing layer including a first sensing layer being in direct contact with the barrier layer and having a first sensing magnetization, a second sensing layer having a second sense magnetization, and a metallic spacer between the first sensing layer and the second sensing layer; wherein the metallic spacer is configured to provide an antiferromagnetic coupling between the first sensing magnetization and the second sensing magnetization such that the first sensing magnetization is oriented substantially antiparallel to the second sensing magnetization; the second sensing magnetization being larger than the first sensing magnetization, such that the second sensing magnetization is oriented in accordance with the direction of the externa

Abstract: A magnetoresistive sensor element including: a reference layer having a pinned reference magnetization; a sense layer having a free sense magnetization comprising a stable vortex configuration reversibly movable in accordance to an external magnetic field to be measured; a tunnel barrier layer between the reference layer and the sense layer; wherein the sense layer includes a first ferromagnetic sense portion in contact with the tunnel barrier layer and a second ferromagnetic sense portion in contact with the first ferromagnetic sense portion; the second ferromagnetic sense portion including a dilution element in a proportion such that a temperature dependence of a magnetic susceptibility of the sense layer substantially compensates a temperature dependence of a tunnel magnetoresistance of the magnetoresistive sensor element. Also, a method for manufacturing the magnetoresistive sensor element.

Abstract: Magnetic current sensor, including: a sensor bridge circuit including a first and second half-bridges, each including two series-connected and diagonally opposed tunnel magnetoresistive (TMR) sensor elements, the TMR sensor elements including a reference layer oriented a single predetermined direction and a sense layer having a sense magnetization; a field line configured for passing a field current generating a magnetic field adapted for orienting the sense magnetization of the diagonally opposed TMR sensor elements of the first half-bridge and of the diagonally opposed TMR sensor elements of the second half-bridge in an opposite direction; such that a non-null differential voltage output between the TMR sensor elements of the first half-bridge and the TMR sensor elements of the second half-bridge is measurable when the field current is passed in the field line; the differential voltage output being insensitive to the presence of an external uniform magnetic field.

Abstract: An electronic circuit for measuring an angle and an intensity of an external magnetic field, includes: first and second magnetic field sensing units having sensing axes substantially orthogonal to each other; a voltage generator supplying a synchronization signal, a first voltage waveform to the first magnetic field sensing unit and a second voltage waveform to the second magnetic field sensing unit; a signal conditioning unit configured for adding the first and second sensing output signals and outputting a conditioned signal. The first and second voltage waveforms have substantially the same amplitude and frequency and are phase shifted by about 90° with respect to each other. The conditioned signal and the synchronization signal are inputted into a magnetic field angle detection unit configured for measuring a phase shift between the conditioned signal and the synchronization signal and for determining the angle of the external magnetic field from the measured phase shift.

Abstract: Magnetic angular sensor device destined to sense an external magnetic field, the sensor device including a plurality of magnetic sensor elements, each sensor element including a magnetic tunnel junction containing a ferromagnetic reference layer having a reference magnetization that is pinned in a pinning direction, a ferromagnetic sense layer having a sense magnetization that can be oriented in an external magnetic field, and a tunnel barrier spacer layer, between the reference layer and the sense layer; wherein the sense layer of at least a portion of said plurality of sensor elements comprises an in-plane uniaxial sense magnetic anisotropy having an easy axis that is aligned substantially parallel to the pinning direction, such that an angular deviation in the alignment of the direction of the sense magnetization in the external magnetic field is minimized for a range of external magnetic field.

Abstract: A magnetic sensing circuit includes a circuit portion including: a main half-bridge including series-connected main tunnel magnetoresistive sensor elements TMR1 and TMR2; a first auxiliary half-bridge connected in parallel to the main half-bridge and including series-connected auxiliary tunnel magnetoresistive sensor elements TMR3 and TMR4 with an output voltage emerging from the connection between TMR1 and TMR3 and between TMR2 and TMR4; wherein a reference magnetization of the magnetoresistive sensor element TMR1 and TMR3 are respectively oriented substantially antiparallel with respect to a reference magnetization of the magnetoresistive sensor element TMR2 and TMR4; and wherein said first auxiliary half-bridge has a sensing axis that differs from the sensing axis of the main half bridge by an angle of about 180°/n, where n is the harmonic number to be canceled. The magnetic sensing circuit allows for sensing of external magnetic fields having high magnitude, with reduced angular error.