Abstract: Methods and devices for managing address mapping information may include writing address mapping recovery information on a user data area of a storage medium in an initially set size unit, the address mapping recovery information being generated in response to a write operation, storing the address mapping recovery information without being written on the storage medium in a non-volatile memory device when an abnormal power off occurs in a storage device, and updating the address mapping information related to the storage device based on the address mapping recovery information stored in the non-volatile memory device and the storage medium when power is applied to the storage device.

Abstract: A head transducer comprises a reader coupled to reader bond pads and configured to interact with a magnetic storage medium. A first thermal sensor is configured to produce a first sensor signal. The first sensor is biased relative to a common mode voltage at the reader bond pads. A second thermal sensor is 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 storage 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.

Abstract: A slider that includes a slider body, the slider body having a trailing edge surface and an opposing leading edge surface; an air bearing surface (ABS) between the trailing edge surface and the leading edge surface; a read/write head located on the trailing edge surface of the slider body; an electrode array located on the trailing edge surface of the slider body, the electrode array including at least a first electrode and at least a second electrode; and first and second bias circuits, wherein the first bias circuit is electrically coupled to the at least first electrode and the second bias circuit is electrically coupled to the at least second electrode.

Abstract: An apparatus (e.g., a heat assisted magnetic recording read/write element) that has an optical component that extends to a location adjacent a media-facing surface of a slider body. The apparatus further includes a planar plasmon antenna that is disposed between the tip portion of the magnetic write pole and the optical component. The planar plasmon antenna can be formed of a plasmonic material operationally capable of a plasmonic excitation in response to an evanescent coupling with an optical mode of the optical component. In some instances, the planar plasmon antenna includes an enlarged region spaced from the optical component and a peg region formed in the enlarged region. The peg region has a thickness in a direction substantially transverse to the optical component that is less than a thickness of a portion of the enlarged region that spaces the peg region from the optical component.

Abstract: In response to positioning a read/write head of a hard drive, a voice coil motor (VCM) input signal is applied to a voice coil motor and a microactuator (PZT) input signal is applied to a microactuator. A position signal is determined in response to positioning the read/write head. A PZT component is decoupled from the position signal to determine an estimated VCM response. The estimated VCM response used to determine an estimated VCM disturbance. A VCM component is decoupled from the position signal to determine an estimated PZT response. The estimated PZT response used to determine an estimated PZT disturbance. The VCM input signal and the PZT input signal are modified respectively to compensate for the estimated VCM disturbance and the estimated PZT disturbance.

Abstract: Provided is an apparatus including a motor configured to rotate a rotating member at a rotational speed based on an applied current; and a controller configured to modify one or more operating parameters in response to determining whether a change in an environment has occurred based on the applied current.

Abstract: A wafer is formed having a plurality of laser-to-slider submount features on a first surface. An etching process is used to form scribe lines between the submounts on the first surface of the wafer. The wafer is separated at the scribe lines to form the submounts.

Abstract: Random numbers are generated according to a variety of solutions. A particular solution relates to a method for generating the random number. A common start signal is provided to each of a plurality of inverter components of a ring oscillator circuit. This causes the ring oscillator circuit to enter a metastable mode. At least a first bit and a second bit of a random number are both generated in parallel. The parallel generation of the bits involves the generation of the first bit from entropic properties of a signal of a first one of the plurality of inverter components and the generation of the second bit from entropic properties of a signal of a second one inverter components.

Abstract: Systems and methods are included for determining a presence of an upcoming reading field during a write mode of a storage device, and initiating a read-while write RWW) mode of the storage device in response to the sensed reading field. Initiating the RWW mode comprises warming up the reader circuitry, generating a signal in response to an end to the write operation, and activating reader bias current in response to the generated signal.

Abstract: A waveguide has an input end near a top of a slider coupled to receive light from an energy source. The waveguide delivers the light at an output end of the waveguide near a bottom of the slider. The apparatus includes light blocking members on respective first and second cross track sides of the waveguide. The light blocking members are configured to block stray light away from a light path. The light blocking members are at a location along a length of the waveguide between the top and the bottom of the slider. Confinement of light within the waveguide is near a maximum at the location.

Abstract: A power level is applied to a laser that heats a heat-assisted recording medium is increased during recording for a plurality of iterations. Each iteration involves writing test data to a plurality of sequential tracks of the recording medium using the power level and determining bit error rates of the test data. Based on the bit error rates of the iterations, a power boost profile is determined. The power boost profile starts at a baseline level at a first track of a plurality of sequentially-written tracks, incrementally increases to a steady-state level over a first portion of the tracks, and remains at the steady-state level over subsequent ones of the tracks. The power boost profile is applied to the laser when recording to the recording medium.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods of matching data rates. In a particular embodiment, a device includes a first data bus and a controller having a first output coupled to the first data bus to provide data to the first data bus. The device also includes a first memory of a first type coupled to the first data bus. The first memory may have a first input to receive data from the controller via the first data bus. The device also includes logic coupled to the first data bus. The logic may have a second input coupled to the first data bus to receive data from the controller via the first data bus. The device may also include a second data bus coupled to the logic. The logic may have a second output coupled to the second data bus to provide data to the second data bus. The logic may also include a second memory of a second type coupled to the second data bus. The second memory may have a third input to selectively receive data from the logic via the second data bus.

Abstract: An approach for aligning a light source on a slider involves filtering light emerging from the air bearing surface of a (ABS) of a heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) slider. A first portion of the emerging light is emitted by a near field transducer in response to optical excitation and has a component having a first polarization state. A second portion of the emerging light including stray light has polarization states different from the first polarization state. The polarizing filter substantially transmits light having the first polarization state and substantially rejects light having a polarization state orthogonal to the first polarization state. Alignment coordinates for the light source are determined based on the light transmitted through the polarizing filter.

Abstract: A media-facing surface of a magnetic head is positioned proximate a moving magnetic recording medium. A current is applied to an electromagnet of the magnetic head. The current induces a magnetic force between the magnetic head and the magnetic recording medium that adjusts a clearance therebetween.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a slider, a light source disposed upon an outer surface of the slider and a projection extending above the outer surface of the slider. The light source comprises a resonant cavity aligned with the outer surface of the slider. The projection comprises an optical turning element that is optically coupled to the light source. Also included are methods of fabrication thereof.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) head that comprises a write coil, a write coil heatsink, and a spacer. The write coil heatsink is thermally coupled to the write coil. The spacer lies intermediate the write coil and the write coil heatsink.

Abstract: A magnetic head includes a read transducer and a write transducer at a media-facing surface of the magnetic head. The magnetic head includes at least one heater that causes heat deformation at the media-facing surface in response to different first and second energizing currents. The first energizing current results in a first close point between the media-facing surface and a recording medium. The second energizing current results in a second close point between the media-facing surface and the recording medium. The second close point is at a different location in the media-facing surface than the first close point.

Abstract: The disclosed systems include features to mitigate a risk of data corruption attributable to unexpected power loss events. In particular, the disclosed system identifies and retrieves complement data associated with each received write command and stores the complement data in a non-volatile cache while the complement data is overwritten via execution of the write command.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a unitary laser diode comprising an array of two or more active regions, at least one of which outputs a light beam in response to an input current. The apparatus also includes two or more waveguides, each waveguide corresponding to an active region of the array. At least one of the waveguides receives the at least one light beam from the at least one active region.

Abstract: A data writer may be generally configured at least with a write pole adjacent to and separated from a side shield and a trailing shield. The side shield may be formed of a first material and configured with a trailing box region that is at least partially filled with a flux density insert formed of a second material that is different than the first material.