US Patent 7269059 Magnetic recording element and device

A magnetic recording element, in which a spin-polarized electron is injected, has a layer whose magnetization direction is changed by the spin-polarized electron in accordance with a flow direction of the spin-polarized electron and records data in accordance with the magnetization direction. The magnetic recording element includes a free layer whose magnetization direction is changed by an action of a spin-polarized electron and has a spin polarization Pf. A pinned layer whose magnetization direction is fixed has a spin polarization Pp larger than the spin polarization Pf. An intermediate layer is interposed between the pinned layer and the free layer and consisting essentially of a nonmagnetic material.