Abstract: A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) device includes a controller that selects a power for operating a heat source for a data write to a target data track. According to one implementation, the controller selects the power based on an assessment of whether the target data track is bounded by any data-storing tracks. A first power is selected when the data track is not bounded by any data-storing tracks and a second lower power is selected when the data track is bounded by one or more data-storing tracks. In another implementation, the controller writes to different partitioned regions of a storage media with different powers of the heat source. The controller selects a storage location for data based on an expected write error rate and environmental conditions within the HAMR device.

Abstract: A storage device includes a controller that implements an interlaced magnetic recording scheme with prioritized random access. According to one implementation, a controller is configured to write data at a first linear density to alternating data tracks and write data at a second linear density to one or more data tracks interlaced with the alternating data tracks.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a light source, a slider including a sensor having a resistance or voltage that varies with the temperature of the sensor, the sensor being mounted to be heated by a portion of light emitted by the light source, and a controller controlling the light source power in response to the resistance or voltage of the sensor.

Abstract: A writer includes a magnetic write pole having a leading surface and a trailing surface and a near field transducer peg spaced from the leading surface of the write pole to provide energy assisted recording. A magnetic recording system for writing to and reading from a continuous magnetic medium includes a write element having a write element tip having a leading edge and a trailing edge, and wherein at least one surface of the write element that extends in a cross-track direction on the continuous magnetic medium has no line of symmetry.

Abstract: A storage device includes a data degradation management module that tracks a risk of data degradation by incrementing a track write counter of a first data track responsive to each data write command to a second data track, such as a data track directly adjacent to the first data track. If a count of the track write counter exceeds a count threshold, one or more post-write scan operations are performed to assess and/or repair data degradation of the first data track.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a controller configured to apply a writing configuration (WC) to a heat-assisted magnetic recording head to write data to a recording medium. The recording medium includes a plurality of sectors. The controller is further configured to determine an optimized WC for each of the plurality of sectors and initiate a write operation to one of the plurality of sectors. The write operation is configured to be performed by the head utilizing the optimized WC for the respective sector.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to perform media certification with different recording widths, in accordance with certain embodiments of the present disclosure. An apparatus may be configured to record data using at least two selectable recording widths. In some embodiments, the recording width may be controlled by adjusting a laser current supplied to a laser emitter of a heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) device. Certification data may be recorded to a storage medium at a selected recording width, with wider widths reducing testing time and narrower widths reducing wear on write heads. In some embodiments, an apparatus may be configured to record servo data using a first recording width to a storage medium, and record certification data using a second recording width. The drive may record servo data and certification during a first disc rotation, and may record servo data and read certification data during a second disc rotation.

Abstract: A data storage device may be configured with at least a heat assisted magnetic recording head that has a laser and is connected to a controller. The heat assisted magnetic recording head can be positioned proximal first and second data bits stored on an adjacent data storage medium. A first laser power may be applied by the laser in response to the first data bit being a different magnetic polarity than the second data bit and a different second laser power can be applied by the laser in response to the first and second data bits having a common magnetic polarity.

Abstract: Thermal energy is generated within an optical NFT when in operation within a HAMR head. A heat-sink assembly within the HAMR head extracts thermal energy from the optical NFT and transmits the thermal energy via convection to air surrounding the HAMR head, radiation to surfaces adjacent to the HAMR head, and/or conduction to other parts of the HAMR head. The thermal energy generated within the optical NFT is conducted to the heat-sink. An air-bearing surface of the heat-sink convectively transfers at least some of the thermal energy to air passing between the air-bearing surface and a surface of an adjacent magnetic medium. Further, some of the thermal energy may also radiatively transfer from the air-bearing surface to the magnetic medium.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a controller configured to apply a writing configuration (WC) to a heat-assisted magnetic recording head to write data to a recording medium. The recording medium includes a plurality of sectors. The controller is further configured to determine an optimized WC for each of the plurality of sectors and initiate a write operation to one of the plurality of sectors. The write operation is configured to be performed by the head utilizing the optimized WC for the respective sector.

Abstract: A read sensor that includes an air bearing surface and a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) structure. The read sensor also includes a first free layer (FL) above the SAF structure and a second FL below the SAF structure. The first FL and the second FL have differing widths at the bearing surface. The first FL, the second FL and the SAF structure are configured to provide a reader resolution that corresponds to a difference between a first width of the first FL and a second width of the second FL.

Abstract: A data storage device can be configured at least with a first spin-torque oscillator disposed between and contacting a write pole and a shield on an air bearing surface. A second spin-torque oscillator can be disposed between and contact the write pole and shield with the second spin-torque oscillator separated from the air bearing surface by a first stabilization distance and from the first spin-torque oscillator by a second stabilization distance. The first and second spin-torque oscillators can be configured to magnetostatically couple and phase lock to produce a single microwave frequency in response to a bias field.

Abstract: A data storage device can be configured at least with a first spin-torque oscillator disposed between and contacting a write pole and a shield on an air bearing surface. A second spin-torque oscillator can be disposed between and contact the write pole and shield with the second spin-torque oscillator separated from the air bearing surface by a first stabilization distance and from the first spin-torque oscillator by a second stabilization distance. The first and second spin-torque oscillators can be configured to magnetostatically couple and phase lock to produce a single microwave frequency in response to a bias field.

Abstract: An offset from track center of data is determined in a data storage device. The data is written to a heat-assisted magnetic recording medium of the device, and the offset compensates for degradation of an optical component of a read/write head when writing the data. The offset is stored in a memory of the storage device. Using the offset, a track alignment is changed during subsequent writes via the read/write head.

Abstract: Performance of a data center is predicted using a computer analysis model. Operational measurements of components of computing nodes of the data center are received as input to the computer analysis model. An operational state of the data center is derived via the computer analysis model responsive to the operational measurements.

Abstract: A storage device includes a multi-reader transducer head with a first reader and a second reader having an effective cross-track separation equal to a multiple of a defined track-pitch of a storage medium of the storage device. The effective cross-track separation may permit for a simultaneous data read of two non-adjacent data tracks.

Abstract: A storage device includes a storage controller configured to write a band of data tracks using a first recording method until criterion is met. The first method may be a conventional recording method. After the criterion is met, the storage controller is configured to write data to the band using a second recording method. The second recording method may be an enhanced capacity recording method such as interlaced magnetic recording (IMR) or shingled magnetic recording (SMR).

Abstract: A storage device controller is configured to select one of multiple written track widths for a storage location based on a write attribute of data to be recorded at the storage location. According to one implementation, the storage device controller is further configured to select a power level for a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) device based on the write attribute.

Abstract: A storage device disclosed herein stores data on a storage media using interlaced magnetic recording (IMR) and it includes a storage controller configured to determine power levels applied to the power source such that power levels applied to heat various tracks can be different from each other. An implementation of the storage device determines the track density, linear densities and power levels for even and odd tracks in IMR HAMR for the storage media.

Abstract: A storage device disclosed herein stores data on a storage media using interlaced magnetic recording (IMR) and it includes a storage controller configured to determine power levels applied to the power source such that power levels applied to heat various tracks can be different from each other. An implementation of the storage device determines the track density, linear densities and power levels for even and odd tracks in IMR HAMR for the storage media.