| abstract |
A magnetoelectric device responsive to an applied magnetic field, e.g. for use as anreading head for data stored in magnetic storage media, comprises first and secondnferromagnetic regions (3, 4) with a channel region (5) between them, thenferromagnetic regions being configured so that charge carriers with a particular spinnpolarisation which can pass through the first region, pass through the second regionnas a function of the relative orientations of magnetisation of the ferromagneticnregions produced by the applied magnetic field such that the device exhibits anconductivity as a function of the strength of the applied field. The channel regionn(5) includes a nanotube (6) which may be formed of carbon, configured to provide anquasi-one-dimensional channel to cause charge carriers which pass through the firstnferromagnetic region to maintain their spin polarisation as they pass towards thensecond ferromagnetic region. In an alternative embodiment a deposited carbon layern(14) is used in the channel region. |