According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording device includes a magnetic head and a controller. The magnetic head includes a first magnetic pole, a magnetic element including a first magnetic layer, and a coil. The controller is electrically connected to the magnetic element and the coil. The controller is configured to supply a recording current to the coil and supply an element current to the magnetic element. The recording current includes a first period of a first polarity, a second period of a second polarity, a third period that shifts from the first to second period, and a fourth period that shifts from the second to first period. The element current includes DC and AC components. The AC component in the first period is the same as the AC component in the second period, the AC component in the third period, and the AC component in the fourth period.

A heat-assisted magnetic recording head includes a waveguide and a near-field transducer. The near-field transducer includes a plasmonic disk disposed proximal to the waveguide. The plasmonic disk includes a first plasmonic layer, a second plasmonic layer, and a middle layer. The first plasmonic layer is coupled to the waveguide. The second plasmonic layer is disposed distal to the waveguide relative to the first plasmonic layer. The middle layer is disposed between the first plasmonic layer and the second plasmonic layer.

A method for collecting position information in a disk drive having a read head and a disk with a set of spirals formed thereon includes: while the read head crosses a first spiral included in the set of spirals, opening a first frame integration window; while the first frame integration window is open, generating first signals with the read head as the read head crosses over a first set of magnetic transitions; closing the first frame integration window; after closing the first frame integration window, generating second signals with the read head as the read head crosses over a second set of magnetic transitions; and determining a radial position of the read head by integrating amplitudes of the first signals, wherein the first set includes magnetic transitions having a first polarity, and the second set includes two or more magnetic transitions having a second polarity.

Provided is a recording device. The recording device includes: an external magnetic field application unit that is configured to apply an external magnetic field to a magnetic recording medium; a light irradiation unit that is configured to irradiate light; and a light focusing unit that is configured to focus the light from the light irradiation unit by resonating the light to generate an enhanced magnetic field in which a magnetic field of the light is enhanced, in which magnetization of the magnetic recording medium is inverted by applying the external magnetic field and the enhanced magnetic field to the magnetic recording medium.

Two or more different recording currents are applied to a write coil of a recording head. A first of the two or more currents is a positive current and a second of the two or more currents is a negative current. In response to the application of the two or more different recording currents, a data stream is recorded to regions of a moving continuous magnetic recording medium such that each region has three or more magnetic states. The three or more magnetic states can be read from the continuous magnetic recording medium via a magnetic read transducer to recover the data stream.

A plurality of configuration sets are used with a detector coupled to a decoder. A processor is coupled to the memory registers and the detector and operable to load a first one of the configuration sets into the detector. The detector to attempts detection of the bits in the digital stream for a first iteration between the detector and the decoder using the first configuration set. After the first iteration, a second one of the configuration sets is loaded into the detector. The second configuration set is different than the first configuration set. The detector to attempts detection of the bits in the digital stream for a second iteration between the detector and the decoder using the second configuration set.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording device includes a magnetic head and a controller. The magnetic head includes a first magnetic pole, a magnetic element including a first magnetic layer, and a coil. The controller is electrically connected to the magnetic element and the coil. The controller is configured to supply a recording current to the coil and supply an element current to the magnetic element. The recording current includes a first period of a first polarity, a second period of a second polarity, a third period that shifts from the first to second period, and a fourth period that shifts from the second to first period. The element current includes DC and AC components. The AC component in the first period is the same as the AC component in the second period, the AC component in the third period, and the AC component in the fourth period.

A recording head has a near-field transducer that extends a first distance away from a media-facing surface. Two subwavelength focusing mirrors are at an end of a waveguide proximate the media-facing surface and extend a second distance away from the media-facing surface that is less than the first distance. The subwavelength mirrors are on opposite crosstrack sides of the near-field transducer and separated from each other by a crosstrack gap. The subwavelength focusing mirrors each include a first material at the media-facing surface and a plasmonic material that covers an edge of the subwavelength focusing mirror that faces the near-field transducer. The first material is more mechanically robust than the plasmonic material.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic disk device includes a magnetic disk, a magnetic head, a control unit, and a setting unit. The magnetic head includes a write element which writes data to the magnetic disk and heater elements which adjust a levitation amount relative to the magnetic disk. The setting unit sets a heater value to be set on the basis of a measurement result of measuring the recording quality of the data written to the magnetic disk. The control unit controls electric power to be supplied to the heater elements on the basis of the heater value to be set to the setting unit.

A method according to one embodiment includes forming a first portion of a thin film writer structure on a substantially planar portion of a substrate such that planes of deposition of the first portion of the writer structure are substantially parallel to a plane of the substrate; forming a portion of a write gap of the writer structure at an angle of greater than 0° relative to the substantially planar portion of the substrate; and causing the writer structure to tilt at an angle relative to the plane of the substrate such that a plane of deposition of the write gap is oriented about perpendicular to a final media-facing surface of the writer structure.