Physics in Canada / La Physique au Canada - 2011 (67.1)

New Paradigms in Magnetic Recording

Author(s)
Martin L. Plumer
Jan van Ek
William C. Cain
Institution
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Western Digital Corporation
Western Digital Corporation

The magnetic hard disc drive industry continues to face serious challenges in its quest for ever decreasing bit size. This review summarizes recent advances and promising new technology which have foundations in fundamental physical principles. Some advantages of these new ideas are illustrated through micromagnetic modeling and the numerous challenges associated with their implementation are highlighted.