Abstract: An apparatus is arranged to detect contact between an air bearing surface of a transducer and a medium using a modulated thermal sensor signal. A laser source produces modulated laser light. A thermal sensor is disposed at or near the air bearing surface and is subject to cyclic heating by the modulated laser light. The thermal sensor is configured to produce the modulated sensor signal in response to the cyclic heating.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a near-field transducer at or near an air bearing surface of the apparatus. A write pole is disposed at or near the air bearing surface and proximate the near-field transducer, respectively. A thermal sensor is disposed at the air bearing surface and within a protrusion region of the air bearing surface defined relative to at least one of the near-field transducer and the write pole. The thermal sensor is configured to produce a signal indicative of a temperature at the protrusion region.

Abstract: A device having an air bearing surface, the device including a writer portion having an air bearing surface at the air bearing surface of the device; and an overcoat layer disposed on at least a portion of the air bearing surface of the writer portion, wherein the overcoat includes a material having a magnetic moment of at least about 0.1 Tesla (T).

Abstract: A head transducer, configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium, includes a first sensor having a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and configured to produce a first sensor signal, and a second sensor having a TCR and configured to produce a second sensor signal. One of the first and second sensors is situated at or near a close point of the head transducer in relation to the magnetic recording medium, and the other of the first and second sensors spaced away from the close point. Circuitry is configured to combine the first and second sensor signals and produce a combined sensor signal indicative of one or both of a change in head-medium spacing and head-medium contact. Each of the sensors may have a TCR with the same sign (positive or negative) or each sensor may have a TCR with a different sign.

Abstract: In an example, a method of manufacturing a transducer head comprises configuring a control circuit to actively synchronize magnetic responses of a shield and a write pole during operation. The method also comprises configuring the control circuit to energize at least one coil wire during operation with a current direction opposite to current flow in a main transducer head coil. In another example, a method comprises actively synchronizing magnetic responses of a shield and a write pole. In another example, a transducer head comprises a write pole and a shield, and a control circuit actively synchronizes magnetic responses of the shield and the write pole.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a head transducer and a resistive temperature sensor provided on the head transducer. The resistive temperature sensor comprises a first layer comprising a conductive material and having a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and a second layer comprising at least one of a specular layer and a seed layer. A method is disclosed to fabricate such sensor with a laminated thin film structure to achieve a large TCR. The thicknesses of various layers in the laminated thin film are in the range of few to a few tens of nanometers. The combinations of the deliberately optimized multilayer thin film structures and the fabrication of such films at the elevated temperatures are disclosed to obtain the large TCR.

Abstract: A temperature sensor of a head transducer measures temperature near or at the close point. The measured temperature varies in response to changes in spacing between the head transducer and a magnetic recording medium. A detector is coupled to the temperature sensor and is configured to detect a change in a DC component of the measured temperature indicative of onset of contact between the head transducer and the medium. Another head transducer configuration includes a sensor having a sensing element with a high temperature coefficient of resistance to interact with asperities of the medium. Electrically conductive leads are connected to the sensing element and have a low temperature coefficient of resistance relative to that of the sensing element, such thermally induced resistance changes in the leads have a negligible effect on a response of the sensing element to contact with the asperities.

Abstract: An asymmetry is determined of a signal generated by a read transducer in proximity to a changing magnetic field of a magnetic media. In response to determining the asymmetry of the signal, a current flowing through a heater of the read transducer is adjusted to cause a change to a magnetic field generated by the current. The change to the magnetic field generated by the current reduces the asymmetry of the signal.

Abstract: An apparatus and generally associated method may be directed to a magnetic reader capable of concurrently or independently data access and environmental measurements. Various embodiments construct such a magnetic reader with first and second data transducing elements that are each adapted to selectively read data and measure clearance from an adjacent data storage media.

Abstract: A magnetic head that includes: a slider having a leading edge and a trailing edge; and a transducer, the transducer formed on the trailing edge of the slider and the transducer including: a substrate; a basecoat positioned adjacent the substrate, wherein the basecoat includes a material having a Young's modulus that is less than that of alumina and a coefficient of thermal expansion that is less than that of alumina; a reader; a writer; a heater; and an overcoat encasing at least a portion of the transducer, wherein the overcoat includes a material having a Young's modulus that is less than that of alumina and a coefficient of thermal expansion that is less than that of alumina.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a near-field transducer at or near an air bearing surface of the apparatus. A write pole is disposed at or near the air bearing surface and proximate the near-field transducer, respectively. A thermal sensor is disposed at the air bearing surface and within a protrusion region of the air bearing surface defined relative to at least one of the near-field transducer and the write pole. The thermal sensor is configured to produce a signal indicative of a temperature at the protrusion region.

Abstract: In an example, a method of manufacturing a transducer head comprises configuring a control circuit to actively synchronize magnetic responses of a shield and a write pole during operation. The method also comprises configuring the control circuit to energize at least one coil wire during operation with a current direction opposite to current flow in a main transducer head coil. In another example, a method comprises actively synchronizing magnetic responses of a shield and a write pole. In another example, a transducer head comprises a write pole and a shield, and a control circuit actively synchronizes magnetic responses of the shield and the write pole.

Abstract: A device having an air bearing surface, the device including a writer portion having an air bearing surface at the air bearing surface of the device; and an overcoat layer disposed on at least a portion of the air bearing surface of the writer portion, wherein the overcoat includes a material having a magnetic moment of at least about 0.1 Tesla (T).

Abstract: A magnetic head that includes: a slider having a leading edge and a trailing edge; and a transducer, the transducer formed on the trailing edge of the slider and the transducer including: a substrate; a basecoat positioned adjacent the substrate, wherein the basecoat includes a material having a Young's modulus that is less than that of alumina and a coefficient of thermal expansion that is less than that of alumina; a reader; a writer; a heater; and an overcoat encasing at least a portion of the transducer, wherein the overcoat includes a material having a Young's modulus that is less than that of alumina and a coefficient of thermal expansion that is less than that of alumina.

Abstract: A magnetic writer includes a write element having a first domain pattern when in a quiescent state and a second domain pattern when in an active state. A biasing structure is configured to induce the write element into the first domain pattern when the magnetic writer is in the quiescent state.

Abstract: A shield for a read element of a magnetic recording head includes a first domain with boundaries remote from the read element and stabilized with a patterned bias element. The patterned bias element comprises a topographical pattern of grooves formed on the shield substrate.

Abstract: A head transducer, configured to interact with a magnetic recording medium, includes a first sensor having a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and configured to produce a first sensor signal, and a second sensor having a TCR and configured to produce a second sensor signal. One of the first and second sensors is situated at or near a close point of the head transducer in relation to the magnetic recording medium, and the other of the first and second sensors spaced away from the close point. Circuitry is configured to combine the first and second sensor signals and produce a combined sensor signal indicative of one or both of a change in head-medium spacing and head-medium contact. Each of the sensors may have a TCR with the same sign (positive or negative) or each sensor may have a TCR with a different sign.

Abstract: A temperature sensor of a head transducer measures temperature near or at the close point. The measured temperature varies in response to changes in spacing between the head transducer and a magnetic recording medium. A detector is coupled to the temperature sensor and is configured to detect a change in a DC component of the measured temperature indicative of onset of contact between the head transducer and the medium. Another head transducer configuration includes a sensor having a sensing element with a high temperature coefficient of resistance to interact with asperities of the medium. Electrically conductive leads are connected to the sensing element and have a low temperature coefficient of resistance relative to that of the sensing element, such thermally induced resistance changes in the leads have a negligible effect on a response of the sensing element to contact with the asperities.

Abstract: A magnetic sensing device includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a first magnetic shield, a second magnetic shield, and a sensor. The first magnetic shield forms at least a portion of the first electrode. The second magnetic shield includes a first region that forms at least a portion of the first electrode and a second region that forms at least a portion of the second electrode. The sensor is positioned between the first and second magnetic shields and is electrically connected in series between the first and second electrodes.

Abstract: An apparatus that includes a first read shield and a second read shield and a reader stack between the first and second read shields. The first and second read shields each include a thin high permeability layer closest to the reader stack and a low permeability layer and/or a geometric feature to control magnetic field flux lines in a free layer of the reader stack.