FePt-based heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) media comprising a thick granular FePt:C magnetic recording layer capable of maintaining a single layer film having desirable magnetic properties. According to one embodiment, the thick granular FePt:C magnetic recording layer comprises a plurality of carbon doped FePt alloy columnar grains, where the plurality of carbon doped FePt alloy columnar grains comprise a carbon gradient along the thickness of the hard magnetic recording layer.

There is provided a magnetic recording medium including a surface having a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction. An arithmetic average roughness Ra, a ratio PSD.sub.MD,short/PSD.sub.TD,short, and a ratio PSD.sub.MD,long/PSD.sub.TD,long on the surface satisfy Ra3.0 nm, PSD.sub.MD,short/PSD.sub.TD,short0.65, and 1.3PSD.sub.MD,long/PSD.sub.TD,long2.3, in which PSD.sub.MD,short is an average value of PSD values in a range from 0.15 m to 0.4 m in the longitudinal direction of the surface, PSD.sub.TD,short is an average value of PSD values in a range from 0.15 m to 0.4 m in the lateral direction of the surface, PSD.sub.MD,long is an average value of PSD values in a range from 0.4 m to 5.0 m in the longitudinal direction of the surface, and PSD.sub.TD,long is an average value of PSD values in a range from 0.4 m to 5.0 m in the lateral direction of the surface.

There is provided a magnetic recording medium including a surface having a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction. An arithmetic average roughness Ra, a ratio PSD.sub.MD,short/PSD.sub.TD,short, and a ratio PSD.sub.MD,long/PSD.sub.TD,long on the surface satisfy Ra3.0 nm, PSD.sub.MD,short/PSD.sub.TD,short0.65, and 1.3PSD.sub.MD,long/PSD.sub.TD,long2.3, in which PSD.sub.MD,short is an average value of PSD values in a range from 0.15 m to 0.4 m in the longitudinal direction of the surface, PSD.sub.TD,short is an average value of PSD values in a range from 0.15 m to 0.4 m in the lateral direction of the surface, PSD.sub.MD,long is an average value of PSD values in a range from 0.4 m to 5.0 m in the longitudinal direction of the surface, and PSD.sub.TD,long is an average value of PSD values in a range from 0.4 m to 5.0 m in the lateral direction of the surface.

A data storage medium includes a cobalt-based ferromagnetic recording layer, a non-magnetic substrate, and a magnetocaloric material. The magnetocaloric material is disposed between the recording layer and the substrate, wherein the magnetocaloric material is configured to generate heat upon exposure to a magnetic field that causes a phase change in the magnetocaloric material. A method of writing data onto a data storage medium includes applying a magnetic field to the data storage medium at a write location from a write head, wherein the data storage medium includes a cobalt-based ferromagnetic recording layer, a non-magnetic substrate, and a magnetocaloric material disposed between the recording layer and the substrate. The method includes transferring heat from the magnetocaloric material to the recording layer; moving the write location out of the magnetic field, wherein the phase change is reversed; and absorbing heat from the recording layer by the magnetocaloric material.

A data storage medium includes a cobalt-based ferromagnetic recording layer, a non-magnetic substrate, and a magnetocaloric material. The magnetocaloric material is disposed between the recording layer and the substrate, wherein the magnetocaloric material is configured to generate heat upon exposure to a magnetic field that causes a phase change in the magnetocaloric material. A method of writing data onto a data storage medium includes applying a magnetic field to the data storage medium at a write location from a write head, wherein the data storage medium includes a cobalt-based ferromagnetic recording layer, a non-magnetic substrate, and a magnetocaloric material disposed between the recording layer and the substrate. The method includes transferring heat from the magnetocaloric material to the recording layer; moving the write location out of the magnetic field, wherein the phase change is reversed; and absorbing heat from the recording layer by the magnetocaloric material.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording medium includes a first magnetic region, a second magnetic region, and a third magnetic region. The second magnetic region is provided between the third magnetic region and the first magnetic region in a first direction from the third magnetic region to the first magnetic region. A first composition ratio of a first Pt atomic concentration in the first magnetic region to a first Co atomic concentration in the first magnetic region is higher than a second composition ratio of a second Pt atomic concentration in the second magnetic region to a second Co atomic concentration in the second magnetic region. A third composition ratio of a third Pt atom concentration in the third magnetic region to a third Co atom concentration in the third magnetic region is higher than the second composition ratio.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording medium includes a first magnetic region, a second magnetic region, and a third magnetic region. The second magnetic region is provided between the third magnetic region and the first magnetic region in a first direction from the third magnetic region to the first magnetic region. A first composition ratio of a first Pt atomic concentration in the first magnetic region to a first Co atomic concentration in the first magnetic region is higher than a second composition ratio of a second Pt atomic concentration in the second magnetic region to a second Co atomic concentration in the second magnetic region. A third composition ratio of a third Pt atom concentration in the third magnetic region to a third Co atom concentration in the third magnetic region is higher than the second composition ratio.

Described are systems, methods, and media for magnetic recording assisted by the use of ultrafast pulses such as ultrafast laser pulses. A layered magnetic medium includes a thin, magnetically softer capping layer disposed over a magnetically harder data recording layer. The capping layer is configured to have fast magnetization dynamics, and to have faster magnetization dynamics than the data recording layer. Due to the fast magnetization dynamics of the capping layer, ultrafast pulses can be used to assist a magnetic write field in magnetizing the capping layer without inducing any significant heating in the bulk of the media. The magnetization of the capping layer nucleates magnetization in the data recording layer under the influence of the magnetic write field.

Described are systems, methods, and media for magnetic recording assisted by the use of ultrafast pulses such as ultrafast laser pulses. A layered magnetic medium includes a thin, magnetically softer capping layer disposed over a magnetically harder data recording layer. The capping layer is configured to have fast magnetization dynamics, and to have faster magnetization dynamics than the data recording layer. Due to the fast magnetization dynamics of the capping layer, ultrafast pulses can be used to assist a magnetic write field in magnetizing the capping layer without inducing any significant heating in the bulk of the media. The magnetization of the capping layer nucleates magnetization in the data recording layer under the influence of the magnetic write field.

Described are systems, methods, and media for magnetic recording assisted by the use of ultrafast pulses such as ultrafast laser pulses. A layered magnetic medium includes a thin, magnetically softer capping layer disposed over a magnetically harder data recording layer. The capping layer is configured to have fast magnetization dynamics, and to have faster magnetization dynamics than the data recording layer. Due to the fast magnetization dynamics of the capping layer, ultrafast pulses can be used to assist a magnetic write field in magnetizing the capping layer without inducing any significant heating in the bulk of the media. The magnetization of the capping layer nucleates magnetization in the data recording layer under the influence of the magnetic write field.