5. Spintronic sensors

5.1 Magnetic field sensors

One of the key applications of magnetism and spin electronics are magnetic field sensors. . The size reduction achieved by GMR and TMR stacks has made them commercially attractive. They are easy to integrate, and their small size means they can be produced in large numbers at low cost.

Applications range from the compass in cell phones to automotive speed sensors, from position and displacement sensors in motorized systems to hard disk read heads. Their small size, and hence weight, is an advantage over...