Abstract: A device includes at least one layer stack including a ferromagnetic layer, at least one magnetic reference layer, and a layer arranged therebetween having a magnetic tunnel junction. The at least one magnetic reference layer has a fixed first magnetization direction, and the ferromagnetic layer has a variable second magnetization direction that is variable relative to the first magnetization direction based on a spin orbit torque effect. The device further includes a spin orbit torque conductor arranged on a first side of the layer stack adjacent to the ferromagnetic layer, and a control unit configured to provide the spin orbit torque conductor with a time-variant input signal with temporally varying polarity and at the same time to determine a conductance of the tunnel junction dependent on the time-variant input signal and, based on the conductance, to detect a magnetic field acting on the device externally.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an anomalous Hall sensor, including a Hall cross. The Hall cross includes a layer stack including a ferromagnetic layer. A first arm of the Hall cross formed in the layer stack extends in a first direction. A second arm of the Hall cross formed in the layer stack extends in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The anomalous Hall sensor includes a control circuit configured to apply current through the first arm and measure voltage across the second arm, and apply current through the second arm and measure voltage across the first arm. The anomalous Hall sensor further includes a processor configured to compute a component of an external magnetic field in a third direction perpendicular to the first and the second direction based on a combination of the measured voltages.

Abstract: A position sensor system comprises a magnetic strip extending in a readout direction and comprising magnetic poles alternating at a constant pitch along the readout direction. At least a first differential magnetoresistive sensor comprises magnetoresistive sensing elements spaced at the pitch. The magnetic poles of the magnetic strip and the first differential magnetoresistive sensor are movable with respect to each other in the readout direction.

Abstract: An absolute position measurement system includes a multipole magnet comprising alternating magnetic poles extending along a multipole extension direction, the alternating magnetic poles generating a magnetic field. A magnetic sensor includes a first sensor element arrangement configured to generate a first signal in response to a first magnetic field component and a second sensor element arrangement configured to generate a second signal in response to a second magnetic field component. The absolute position measurement system is configured, as a position of the magnetic sensor relative to the multipole magnet changes, to generate a first oscillating sensor signal with decreasing first signal amplitude and to generate a second oscillating sensor signal with decreasing second signal amplitude based on the first and second signals. A processing circuit is configured to calculate an absolute position of the magnetic sensor based on the first oscillating sensor signal and the second oscillating sensor signal.

Abstract: A device includes a magnetic layer and a guiding structure arranged over the magnetic layer and configured to sequentially transfer a skyrmion in the magnetic layer along a transfer pattern in response to a rotating magnetic field. The device further includes a plurality of magnetoresistive elements arranged along the transfer pattern and configured to detect a position of the skyrmion in the transfer pattern. The device is configured to determine a number of rotations of the rotating magnetic field based on the detected position of the skyrmion in the transfer pattern.

Abstract: The present disclosure proposes a spin valve device comprising a layer stack. The layer stack comprises one or more layers forming a unidirectionally magnetized reference system, a vortex-magnetized free layer, a non-magnetic layer separating the reference system from the free layer, and one or more layers forming a bias structure being exchange-coupled to the free layer, the bias structure having a vortex-magnetization with closed flux of a predetermined rotation direction.

Abstract: An absolute position measurement system includes a multipole magnet including alternating magnetic poles extending along a multipole extension direction, the multipole magnet has a linear changing configuration relative to a linear path and produces a magnetic field having a field strength that undergoes a sinusoidal change along the linear path due to the alternating magnetic poles and a linear change along the linear path according to the linear changing configuration relative to the linear path; and a magnetic sensor configured to move along the linear path. The magnetic sensor includes a first sensor element arrangement configured to generate a first sensor signal, a second sensor element arrangement configured to generate a second sensor signal that is phase shifted with respect to the first sensor signal, and a processing circuit configured to calculate an absolute position of the magnetic sensor based on the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a magnetoresistive magnetic field sensor which, inter alia, includes four magnetoresistive elements arranged in a Wheatstone full bridge circuit. A first magnetoresistive element and a second magnetoresistive element, which respectively have an inverse behavior in relation to a change in conductance, are arranged in a first half bridge. A third magnetoresistive element and a fourth magnetoresistive element, which respectively have an inverse behavior in relation to a change in conductance, are arranged in a second half bridge. At least two of the four magnetoresistive elements have different conductance values when no external magnetic field is present. In each case, two of the four magnetoresistive elements have the same conductance if an external magnetic field with a predefined magnetic field strength is present.

Abstract: The present disclosure proposes a spin valve device comprising a layer stack. The layer stack comprises one or more layers forming a unidirectionally magnetized reference system, a vortex-magnetized free layer, a non-magnetic layer separating the reference system from the free layer, and one or more layers forming a bias structure being exchange-coupled to the free layer, the bias structure having a vortex-magnetization with closed flux of a predetermined rotation direction.

Abstract: A method for generating a closed flux magnetization pattern of a predetermined rotational direction in a magnetic reference layer of a magnetic layer stack is provided. The method includes applying an external magnetic field in a predetermined direction to the magnetic layer stack causing magnetic saturation of the magnetic reference layer and of a pinned layer of the magnetic layer stack; and reducing the external magnetic field to form a first closed flux magnetization pattern in the magnetic reference layer and a second closed flux magnetization pattern in the pinned layer.

Abstract: An absolute position measurement system includes a multipole magnet including alternating magnetic poles extending along a multipole extension direction, the multipole magnet has a linear changing configuration relative to a linear path and produces a magnetic field having a field strength that undergoes a sinusoidal change along the linear path due to the alternating magnetic poles and a linear change along the linear path according to the linear changing configuration relative to the linear path; and a magnetic sensor configured to move along the linear path. The magnetic sensor includes a first sensor element arrangement configured to generate a first sensor signal, a second sensor element arrangement configured to generate a second sensor signal that is phase shifted with respect to the first sensor signal, and a processing circuit configured to calculate an absolute position of the magnetic sensor based on the first sensor signal and the second sensor signal.

Abstract: A position sensor system comprises a magnetic strip extending in a readout direction and comprising magnetic poles alternating at a constant pitch along the readout direction. At least a first differential magnetoresistive sensor comprises magnetoresistive sensing elements spaced at the pitch. The magnetic poles of the magnetic strip and the first differential magnetoresistive sensor are movable with respect to each other in the readout direction.

Abstract: The described techniques facilitate the use of a magnetic field sensor that implements the same magnetic layer stack for the detection of the x, y, and z components of an external magnetic field. The sensor advantageously is insensitive to orthogonal stray fields and operates with a reduced offset compared to conventional magnetic field sensors. The linear regime implemented by the sensor to facilitate magnetic field detection may also be adjusted per application by tuning the current strength.

Abstract: An apparatus for generating magnetic vortex spin structures includes a device for moving at least one magnetic domain wall in a magnetic domain wall channel structure; and a device for generating and storing at least one magnetic vortex spin structure in response to the magnetic domain wall moved in the domain wall channel structure.

Abstract: An integrated Hall sensor device for measuring a magnetic field is provided. The integrated Hall sensor device includes: a semiconductor chip; a first Hall sensor for generating a first magnetic field measurement signal dependent on a first component; a second Hall sensor for generating a second magnetic field measurement signal dependent on a second component of the magnetic field; a first stress sensor for generating a shear stress measurement signal dependent on mechanical stresses in the semiconductor chip; and an evaluation device for determining one or more properties of the magnetic field depending on the first magnetic field measurement signal, the second magnetic field measurement signal. and the first shear stress measurement signal.

Abstract: Magnetic position sensors, systems and methods are disclosed. In an embodiment, a position sensing system includes a magnetic field source; and a sensor module spaced apart from the magnetic field source, at least one of the magnetic field source or the sensor module configured to move relative to the other along a path, the sensor module configured to determine a position of the magnetic field source relative to the sensor module from a nonlinear function of a ratio of a first component of a magnetic field of the magnetic field source to a second component of the magnetic field of the magnetic field source.

Abstract: A device includes at least one layer stack including a ferromagnetic layer, at least one magnetic reference layer, and a layer arranged therebetween having a magnetic tunnel junction. The at least one magnetic reference layer has a fixed first magnetization direction, and the ferromagnetic layer has a variable second magnetization direction that is variable relative to the first magnetization direction based on a spin orbit torque effect. The device further includes a spin orbit torque conductor arranged on a first side of the layer stack adjacent to the ferromagnetic layer, and a control unit configured to provide the spin orbit torque conductor with a time-variant input signal with temporally varying polarity and at the same time to determine a conductance of the tunnel junction dependent on the time-variant input signal and, based on the conductance, to detect a magnetic field acting on the device externally.

Abstract: A method for generating a closed flux magnetization pattern of a predetermined rotational direction in a magnetic reference layer of a magnetic layer stack is provided. The method includes applying an external magnetic field in a predetermined direction to the magnetic layer stack causing magnetic saturation of the magnetic reference layer and of a pinned layer of the magnetic layer stack; and reducing the external magnetic field to form a first closed flux magnetization pattern in the magnetic reference layer and a second closed flux magnetization pattern in the pinned layer.

Abstract: A magnetoresistive sensor includes a magnetic reference layer. The magnetic reference layer includes a permanent closed flux magnetization pattern of a predetermined rotational direction. Furthermore, the magnetoresistive sensor includes a magnetic free layer. The magnetic free layer has a total lateral area that is smaller than a total lateral area of the magnetic reference layer. A centroid of the magnetic free layer is laterally displaced with respect to a centroid of the magnetic reference layer.

Abstract: An angle sensor for detecting a rotation angle of a shaft, on the axial end of which a permanent magnet is fitted. The permanent magnet has a north pole and a south pole that lie opposite one another across a rotation axis of the shaft. A sensor arrangement includes at least four sensor elements that are arranged with equidistant angles between them on a sensor element circle. The ferromagnetic element is arranged concentrically with a center of the sensor element circle and, when viewed in the direction of the midaxis of the sensor element circle, is point-symmetrical with respect to the center. The angle sensor is arranged relative to the axial end of the shaft such that the rotation axis of the shaft is substantially concentric with the center of the sensor element circle and the sensor arrangement is arranged between the permanent magnet and the ferromagnetic element.