Abstract: To realize an electromagnetic field generating element, an information recording and reproducing head and an information recording and reproducing device for high frequency magnetic recording and reproducing by the optically assisted magnetic recording and reproduction using near field, which permit attenuation or delay of a magnetic field to be suppressed, the electromagnetic field generating element of the present invention generates a magnetic field in a direction parallel to the surface of a constricting section by supplying current in the conductive member, and applying a laser beam from the side of the substrate to the constricting section, and a surface plasmon is excited by an magnetic field vector vertical to the surface of the constricting section, thereby generating near field from the surface facing the interface between the substrate and the constricting section.

Abstract: Electrons are directed from an electron emitter towards a magnetic recording medium to heat a recording portion of the magnetic recording medium and magnetic information is written by a magnetic recording head to the temperature-elevated recording portion. Otherwise, a magnetic head having a magnetic pole is used and the magnetic pole serves as an electron emitter as well. Alternatively, a space between the electron emitter and recording medium is made shorter smaller the mean free path of electrons in the atmosphere to considerably improve the recording density.

Abstract: A magnetic medium using spin-polarized electrons, and an apparatus and method of recording data on the magnetic medium are provided. The magnetic medium includes a polarization layer and a magnetic recording layer. The polarization layer spin-polarizes electrons. In the magnetic recording layer, the direction of magnetization varies depending on the direction of the spin-polarization of the electrons. The data recording apparatus includes a light source and a probe. The light source radiates circularly polarized light, and the probe injects electrons spin-polarized by the circularly polarized light into a magnetic medium and changes the direction of the magnetization of the magnetic medium to record data on the magnetic medium. Because the direction of magnetization is adjusted using spin-polarized electrons, fast data recording can be achieved.

Abstract: A method for performing full optimization of most of the files on a volume in accordance with a composed optimization plan, is performed, including the separation of less frequently accessed files from those whose number or location of clusters is being more frequently modified by user applications. Optimization does not continue indefinitely—it reaches a final state even if a small percentage of its file data is still out of place under the optimization plan and therefore not in the planned part of a plan-defined, Placed Files Area. Each time a Push of out-of-place file data is attempted, or a Pull of file data into a correspondingly planned free space within the Placed Files Area is attempted, a copy of the current volume bitmap is made in order to determine what is the largest free space currently available in the Placed Files Area. Once determined, the size of the largest free space is compared to the size of the largest out-of-place range of corresponding clusters in the Placed Files Area.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium and an apparatus and a method for reading data using spin-dependent scattering of electrons are provided. The apparatus includes a probe, a magnetic recording medium, a control unit, and a measurement unit. The probe emits hot electrons through a Schottky junction or tunnel barrier. The magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, a first magnetic layer placed over the substrate, a non-magnetic layer placed over the first magnetic layer, and a second magnetic layer placed over the non-magnetic layer and having a magnetization direction parallel or anti-parallel with a magnetization direction of the first magnetic layer. The control unit applies voltage to the probe so that the probe can emit hot electrons. The measurement unit reads data recorded on the magnetic recording medium by detecting output current at the substrate that varies according to the parallel or anti-parallel alignment of magnetizations of the first and second magnetic layers.

Abstract: Electrons are directed from an electron emitter towards a magnetic recording medium to heat a recording portion of the magnetic recording medium and magnetic information is written by a magnetic recording head to the temperature-elevated recording portion. Otherwise, a magnetic head having a magnetic pole is used and the magnetic pole serves as an electron emitter as well. Alternatively, a space between the electron emitter and recording medium is made shorter smaller the mean free path of electrons in the atmosphere to considerably improve the recording density.

Abstract: An assembly and method for recording and/or reading high-density data includes a phase change media, an antenna placed adjacent the phase change media, and a source of electromagnetic radiation.

Abstract: A pickup device is provided with: an arm; a gimbal holding device disposed on one end portion of the arm; a gimbal held by the gimbal holding device with a probe set in its center portion; and a motor of rotational type for rotating the arm around a rotating shaft. The probe, which is disposed on one end of the arm, is rotated in the radial direction of a dielectric recording medium by the rotation of the motor, causing accurate and quick tracking control and track access control.

Abstract: A dielectric recording/reproducing head (40a) is provided with: a probe (11) for recording/reproducing data in/from a dielectric recording medium (1); and a slider (12) placed so as to surround the probe (11) and containing an electric conductor. It may be provided with a probe supporting device (14) containing an insulating member such as resin materials in the gap between the probe (11) and the slider (12). The probe (11) has a longitudinal shape with a longer length in the width direction of the track (5), and covers the track (5) and one portion of adjacent spaces. The slider (12) can be used, by earthing it, as a return electrode for returning a high-frequency electric field applied from the probe (11) to the dielectric recording medium (1) in order to reproduce a signal. The probe (11) is set not to project from a surface of the slider (12) facing to the dielectric recording medium (1).

Abstract: A method and apparatus for detecting lubricant depletion in a disk drive is provided. Disk operation performance parameters are monitored for each of a plurality of zones on the surface of the disk, and the performance parameters are stored in a data store. Examples of performance parameters monitored for each of the zones include dwell time, head flying height changes, and data recovery procedure measurements. The stored disk operation performance parameters are then compared against predetermined threshold values. If the values of the performance parameters exceed the predetermined threshold values for any of the zones, a potential lubricant depletion or other general degradation problem is flagged for the corresponding zone. Optionally, when a potential lubricant depletion problem is flagged for a particular zone, corrective action is taken.

Abstract: Disclosed herewith is a method for enabling fast and high density recording of information. A voltage is applied to a recording layer formed between a pair of electrodes. The distance between the pair of electrodes is set wider at one of land and groove areas of a subject optical disk and narrower at the other or the distance is set so that light absorption occurs only in either of the land and groove areas. The optical disk is also provided with a layer of which light absorption spectrum changes according to the application of an electric current, thereby absorbing the light. The new layer may be the recording layer itself or a layer adjacent to the recording layer. Because a heat generates only from a small area of the optical disk at the time of recording, the disk can be turned rapidly and permissively to the auto focusing and tracking offsets, thereby enabling fast and high density recording. The disk can thus be formed with easily selectable multiple layers.

Abstract: Surface-enhanced Raman optical data storage (SERODS) systems having increased reading and writing speeds, that is, increased data transfer rates, are disclosed. In the various SERODS read and write systems, the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) data is written and read using a two-dimensional process called parallel signal transfer (PST). The various embodiments utilize laser light beam excitation of the SERODS medium, optical filtering, beam imaging, and two-dimensional light detection. Two- and three-dimensional SERODS media are utilized. The SERODS write systems employ either a different laser or a different level of laser power.

Abstract: The invention discloses an assembly/methodology for writing/erasing high-density data on a ferroelectric recording media. A preferred embodiment of the invention features a novel thermal near-field heater that may be employed in the assembly, particularly for realizing the methodology in a substantially thermal near-field mode. The invention provides advantages of data storage densities greater than that of diffraction limited systems, for example, data storage densities of approximately greater than 100 Gbit/inch2, and writing speeds approximately greater than 100 MHz.

Abstract: There is provided an information storage apparatus including recording medium and a head. The recording medium has an electrode layer, a magnetic layer that is stacked on the electrode layer, and a wear-resistant thin film that is stacked on the magnetic layer. The head has a conductive probe for injecting charge to record information and sensing the charge injected into the recording medium to reproduce information in a state that the conductive probe contacts the recording medium. A magnetic medium, which is coated with a wear-resistant thin film, stores charges to record information and reproduce information using an electrostatic force. Thus, it is possible to stably store highly integrated information. Also, a probe contacts a recording medium to record and reproduce information at a high speed. Thus, sensitivity and resolution can be improved.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus using a recording medium which holds information by reversed magnetic domains on a perpendicular magnetic recording film includes an irradiation unit for applying electromagnetic energy or light onto the recording medium, and a magnetic flux detection unit for detecting magnetic leakage flux emerging from the recording medium, the magnetic flux detection unit being disposed on the same side as the irradiation unit with respect to the recording medium. As a result, both side recording of the recording medium can be conducted.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing passed pointer detection in audio/video streams on disk media. The present invention sets up an audio/video stream on a disk drive, uses read and write commands for accessing contiguous data and provides a pointer system that provides a warning when manipulating the pointers during fast forward and reverse functions that one pointer has passed the other. The position of a first pointer and a second pointer in at least one stream is monitored during a command execution. A determination is made when the positions of the first and second pointers cross to create a passed pointer state. An indicator is set to signal that a passed pointer state has occurred. The passed pointer indicator is then used to prevent anomalous behavior in processing of the at least one stream.

Abstract: A rapid data recording/reproducing method, a data recording system adopting the same, media for the system, and a tracking method, wherein the recording/reproducing method includes preparing media having a data recording layer in which a phase change is generated through electron absorption, generating electrons using an electron generating source at a position separated from the data recording layer by a predetermined interval, forming a magnetic field on the path of the electrons and cyclotron moving the electrons, recording data through local melting and cooling due to absorption of the electrons by the data recording layer. A micro-tip does not contact the data recording layer during electron collisions therewith, hence no damage is caused by or to the micro-tip. The present invention allows the region where the electron beam reaches the data recording layer to be minimized thereby maximizing the data recording density.

Abstract: A recording medium comprising a data-recording surface is formed of plural tracks, with a respective track having a data section in which units of data are to be recorded. Only one header section is provided before the data section, the header section serving as a reference position for dividing said track into sectors. The header section is defined by prepits formed in the data-recording surface. As a result, data is recorded in the header section at such a high density that the header data is reproduced with super resolution.

Abstract: The invention discloses novel apparatus/methodology for writing/erasing high-density data on a digital recording media. A preferred embodiment of the invention features a novel thermal near-field heater that may be employed in the apparatus, particularly for realizing the methodology in a substantially thermal near-field mode. The invention provides advantages of data storage densities greater than that of diffraction limited systems, for example, data storage densities of approximately greater than 100 Gbit/inch2, and writing speeds approximately greater than 100 MHz.

Abstract: The present invention provides a magnetic signal reproducing device including heating means for locally heating a reproducing region of a magnetic recording medium, first reproducing means for reading magnetic information in the reproducing region in a first temperature state to obtain a first reproduced signal, second reproducing means for reading magnetic information in almost the same region as the reproducing region in a second temperature state which is different from the first temperature state to obtain a second reproduced signal, and correcting means for correcting the first reproduced signal based on the second reproduced signal to obtain an information reproducing signal representing information recorded in the reproducing region. According to this, even if a medium temperature in a non-heated region of the magnetic recording medium is shifted from a magnetization compensation point, a signal from the region is prevented from mixing into a reproducing signal.