An enlargement of the active layers in an MRAM device. The red and green spheres represent electrons spinning in opposite directions in the magnetic layers. The very thin insulator allows electrons to quantum-mechanically tunnel through it. Information is stored in the top layer by forcing its electrons to spin in one direction or another. Information is retrieved by measuring the amount of current that travels through the tunnel insulator, which depends on the spin direction of the electrons in the top layer. [ Magnified Image ] [ Get permission to re-use ]
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