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 pair of members opposed to each other via a gap are commonly used as an evanescent light probe and a writing magnetic head. When the spacing and width of the gap are smaller than the wavelength &lgr; of injected light, highly intensive evanescent light is generated from the gap position of the opposite surface. Magnetic writing is carried out by applying a recording magnetic field from the pair of members to a medium heated by the evanescent light.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, an underlayer formed on the substrate, and containing at least one element selected from the group A consisting of Pt, Pd, Rh, Ag, Au, Ir and Fe, and at least one element or compound selected from the group B consisting of C, Ta, Mo, W, Nb, Zr, Hf, V, Mg, Al, Zn, Sn, In, Bi, Pb, Cd, SiO2, MgO, Al2O3, TaC, TiC, TaN, TiN, B2O3, ZrO2, In2O3 and SnO2, and a magnetic layer formed on the underlayer, containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of Fe, Co, and Ni, and at least one element selected from the group consisting of Pt, Pd, Au and Ir, and containing crystal grains having an L10 structure.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium has a substrate, an underlayer formed on the substrate, a magnetic layer formed on the underlayer and including crystal grains having an L10 structure mainly including Fe and Pt, mainly including Fe and Pd, or mainly including Co and Pt, and the crystal grains further including 0.1 to 50 atomic percent of at least one additive element dissolved therein.

Abstract: A perpendicular magnetic recording medium has a substrate, a soft magnetic underlayer formed on the substrate, arrayed soft magnetic dots formed on the soft magnetic underlayer, and a ferromagnetic recording layer formed on the soft magnetic dots and having magnetic anisotropy in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the substrate.

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 recording medium includes a non-magnetic substrate; a soft magnetic layer which is formed on the non-magnetic substrate and which includes projected parts arranged on the surface thereof and recessed parts surrounding each of the projected part; and a ferromagnetic layer which is formed on the soft magnetic layer and which includes projected parts and recessed parts reflecting the projected parts and the recessed parts of the soft magnetic layer. Further the magnetic recording medium includes recording areas which have perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and ferromagnetism, and which are formed of the projected parts of the ferromagnetic layer and separated magnetically from their surroundings.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium has a substrate, and a servo signal recording magnetic layer whose magnetization is oriented in a direction perpendicular to a surface thereof, a non-magnetic layer and a data recording magnetic layer, which are stacked on the substrate in the order mentioned. The servo signal recording magnetic layer has a coercivity higher than that of the data recording magnetic layer. The servo signal recording magnetic layer has servo tracks formed with a track pitch Tps, the servo tracks adjacent to each other in a track width direction being magnetized to opposite directions perpendicular to the film surface.

Abstract: This invention uses a perpendicular magnetic recording medium in which first and second magnetic recording layers are coupled by antimagnetic exchange coupling, or a longitudinal magnetic recording medium in which three or more predetermined interlayers are formed between first and second magnetic recording layers, and these layers are coupled by antimagnetic exchange coupling.

Abstract: A magnetic recording apparatus comprises a magnetic field impression unit, a current supplying unit and a controlling unit t. The magnetic field impression unit impresses a magnetic field to a magnetic recording medium. The current supplying unit supplies a current to the magnetic recording medium. The controlling unit makes the current supplying unit supply the current to the magnetic recording medium while making the magnetic field impression unit impress the magnetic field to at least a unit of a magnetic recording unit of the magnetic recording medium. Thus, a information is recorded magnetically by making a direction of a magnetization of the magnetic recording unit of the magnetic recording medium in a predetermined direction.

Abstract: In a thermally-assisted magnetic recorder configured to heat a medium with a heat source like a light beam and thereby decrease the coercive force of a recording portion so as to magnetically record information on the recording portion decreased in coercive force by applying a recording magnetic field from a recording magnetic pole thereto, relative timing between heating of the medium and magnetic recording is optimized by locating a reversing point of magnetization, in which the coercive force of the recording portion equals the intensity of the recording magnetic field, in the leading side of the trailing edge of the recording magnetic pole.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium comprising a magnetic recording layer formed on a substrate, in which information is recorded by forming recording cells in recording tracks formed on a surface of the magnetic recording layer, wherein the magnetic recording layer has a structure that magnetic particles are formed in a non-magnetic matrix and ordered particle domains in which magnetic particles are arrayed regularly are formed on a surface thereof, and wherein a size in a track width direction of each ordered particle domain is one fifth or more of a width of the recording track formed on the recording layer.

Abstract: A magnetic recording-reproducing apparatus has a magnetic recording medium having a nonmagnetic substrate, and a functional layer and a recording layer formed on the nonmagnetic substrate, the recording layer exhibiting a magnetic anisotropy energy density KuRL, the functional layer developing ferromagnetism upon irradiation with light so as to exhibit a magnetic anisotropy energy density KuFL lower than the magnetic anisotropy energy density KuRL and the functional layer serving to lower the magnetic anisotropy energy density of the recording layer through exchange coupling interaction with the recording layer when the functional layer is irradiated with light, a light source which irradiates the functional layer with light, and a magnetic head having a writing head writing signal magnetization by applying a magnetic field to the recording layer and a reading head reading the signal magnetization recorded in the recording layer.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium capable of alleviating thermal fluctuation and improving the recording density includes a functional layer (12) containing a magnetic material, and a recording layer (11) overlying the functional layer and containing a magnetic material. The recording layer contains a plurality of magnetic grains (51) and a nonmagnetic material (52) existing among the magnetic grains, and the functional layer and the recording layer exert exchange coupling interaction in a direction making a substantially orthogonal relation with each other at the room temperature.

Abstract: A magnetic recording apparatus having a magnetic recording medium having a recording layer formed on a substrate, the recording layer being constituted by magnetic grains and a nonmagnetic material formed between the magnetic grains, a heating unit configured to heat the recording layer, and a magnetic recording unit configured to apply a magnetic field to the recording layer. The magnetic recording medium, the heating unit and the magnetic recording unit are constituted so as to meet the following relationship: T/RKu(T)<11200/(ln(t)+20.72) where, setting that Ku(T) is magnetic anisotropy energy density of the recording-layer at a temperature T, and Ku(Ta) is that at ambient temperature, RKu(T) represents a ratio Ku(T)/Ku(Ta), and t represents an elapsed time after the magnetic field application is completed.

Abstract: A pair of members opposed to each other via a gap are commonly used as an evanescent light probe and a writing magnetic head. When the spacing and width of the gap are smaller than the wavelength &lgr; of injected light, highly intensive evanescent light is generated from the gap position of the opposite surface. Magnetic writing is carried out by applying a recording magnetic field from the pair of members to a medium heated by the evanescent light.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium has a substrate, an underlayer formed on the substrate, a magnetic layer formed on the underlayer and including crystal grains having an L10 structure mainly including Fe and Pt, mainly including Fe and Pd, or mainly including Co and Pt, and the crystal grains further including 0.1 to 50 atomic percent of at least one additive element dissolved therein.

Abstract: A method of designing a thermally-assisted magnetic recording apparatus having a magnetic recording medium, a heater and a magnetic head includes, determining a stable retention time tst for recorded magnetization and a thermal-fluctuation stability coefficient &bgr;st calculated from &bgr;(T)=KUV/kBT, where Ku is a magnetic anisotropy energy density, V is an activation volume, and kB is Boltzmann's constant, obtaining an equivalent degradation time tEQ calculated from tEQ=&Sgr;(&Dgr;tEQ), that sums values of &Dgr;tEQ within a period of time &Dgr;t for a time span during which the medium is substantially degraded, where &Dgr;tEQ=exp(1n(&Dgr;t)−&bgr;−&bgr;st) and &bgr; is a thermal-fluctuation stability coefficient for a medium temperature T in &Dgr;t, and determining specifications of the medium, the heater and the magnetic head in a manner to meet the relationship of tEQ<tst.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium has a substrate, a base layer formed on the substrate and including a magnetic material, a switching layer formed on the base layer and including a nonmagnetic material, and a recording layer formed on the switching layer and having a structure comprising magnetic particles and a nonmagnetic wall buried between the magnetic particles. The medium meets the condition of TcB>Tsw, where TcB is a Curie temperature of the base layer, and Tsw is a temperature at which the recording layer and the base layer begin to exert exchange coupling interaction.

Abstract: In a phase change optical recording medium, by determining heat conductivity relatively higher in one of interference layers on and under the recording layer, heat absorbed into the recording layer can be released moderately through an interference layer. Thereby, cross erasure caused by heating of adjacent tracks can be prevented, and at the same time, excessive heat radiation is prevented from a part of the recording layer nearer to the substrate to thereby maintain appropriate heat in the recording layer. As a result, cross-erasure is prevented, and data can be rewritten with the supply of typical recording/erasure power.