A magnetic shift register utilizes a data column comprising a thin wire of
magnetic material. A writing element selectively changes the direction of
the magnetic moment in the magnetic domains to write the data to the data
column. Associated with each domain wall are large magnetic fringing
fields concentrated in a very small space. These magnetic fringing fields
write to and read from the magnetic shift register. When the domain wall
is moved close to another magnetic material, the fringing fields change
the direction of the magnetic moment in the magnetic material,
effectively "writing" to the magnetic material. A reading element similar
to a tunneling junction comprises a free layer and a pinned layer of
magnetic material. Fringing fields change the direction of the magnetic
moment in the free layer with respect to the pinned layer, changing
electrical resistance of the reading element and "reading" data stored in
the magnetic shift register.