Magnetoresistive element

Patent Granted Magnetoresistance is the property of a material to change the value of its electrical resistance when an external magnetic field is applied to it. The effect was first discovered by William Thomson (better known as Lord Kelvin) in 1851, but he was unable to lower the electrical resistance of anything by more than 5%. This effect was later called ordinary magnetoresistance (OMR). More recent researchers discovered materials (and multilayer devices) showing giant magnetoresistance (GMR), colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) and tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR). Generally, resistance can depend either on magnetization (controlled by applied magnetic field) or on magnetic field directly.