From Tom's Hardware: Heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) technology promises to increase areal density and hard disk drive capacity by at least two times compared to standard perpendicular magnetic recording (PMR) technology. However, recently demonstrated dual-layer HDD media, which records data bits stacked atop each other in layers, coupled with multi-level heat-assisted recording, promises to at least double what current-generation HAMR technology is capable of. How about a 60 TB HDD now and well over 120 TB in 10 to 15 years?
Research teams from NIMS, Seagate Technology, and Tohoku University have demonstrated the feasibility of multi-level heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) on dual-layer granular media, reports Acta Materialia.
The concept of multi-level magnetic recording for hard drives has been around for some time, but its practical application has been hindered by the absence of suitable media that can store data at various levels. Researchers have tackled this challenge by creating a new type of granular media composed of two FePt-C nanogranular films separated by a Ru-C spacer layer with a cubic crystal structure. This enables separate magnetic recording on each layer under different magnetic fields and temperatures.
By adjusting the laser power and magnetic fields during the writing process, the two FePT layers can be recorded independently, potentially doubling the areal density and HDD capacity without making significant changes in magnetic layer materials.
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