A device for detecting rotational or linear movements includes a transmitter with sections, and a magnetoresistive sensor. The sections are alternatingly inversely magnetized along a trajectory extending in a first spatial direction. The sections includes respective magnetic poles that oppose each other in a second spatial direction, orthogonal to the first spatial direction, and an extent in a third spatial direction orthogonal to the first spatial direction and to the second spatial direction. The sections are magnetized over a length in the third spatial direction that is less than the extent. The magnetoresistive sensor is spaced from the transmitter by a gap in the second spatial direction, and the magnetoresistive sensor is stationary. The spatial directions may be directions in a cylindrical coordinate system or a cartesian coordinate system.