Thin film magnetic memory having nondestructive readout

Claim 1

IN A MEMORY ELEMENT, THE COMBINATION OF: A THIN FILM OF MAGNETIC MATERIAL HAVING AN EASY AXIS OF MAGNETIZATION AND TWO POSSIBLE OPPOSITELY-ORIENTED STATES OF MAGNETIZATION ALONG SAID EASLY AXIS; MEANS FOR GENERATING A TRANSVERSE MAGNETIC FIELD IN SAID FILM ORIENTED SUBSTANTIALLY ORTHONGONLLY TO SAID EASY AXIS, SAID TRANSVERSE MAGNETIC FIELD HAVING A MAGNITUDE WHICH IN COMBINATION WITH EITHER OF SAID STATES OF MAGNETIZATION PRODUCES A RESILIENT FIELD IN SAID FILM HAVING AN ORIENTATION INTERMEDIATE SAID EASY AXIS AND THE AXIS OF SAID TRANSVERSE MAGNETIC FIELD; MEANS FOR GENERATING SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH SAID TRANSVERSE FIELD A MAGNETIC FIELD IN SIAD FILM ORIENTED OBLIQUELY TO SAID EASY AXIS, SAID FIELD HAVING A MAGNITUDE WHICH IN COMBINATION WITH ONE OF SAID STATES OF MAGNETIZATION PRODUCES ROTATION OF THE MAGNETIC FIELD IN SAID FILM IN A CENTRAL PORTION THEREOF ONLY SO AS TO PROVIDE A FIRST DOMAIN OF ONE ORIENTATION IN SAID PORTION WHILE LEAVING THE REMAINING DOMAINS OF SAID FILM UNAFFECTED, WHEREBY SAID REMAINING DOMAINS WILL GROW UPON TERMINATION OF SAID FIELD TO ELIMINATE SAID FIRST DOMAIN; AND MEANS FOR GENERATING A VOLTAGE WHICH VARIES AS A FUNCTION OF MAGNETIC FIELD CHANGE IN SAID FILM.