The present disclosure is generally related to a magnetic media drive employing a magnetic recording head. The magnetic recording head comprises a main pole extending to a media facing surface (MFS). The main pole has a gradually increasing cross-section area with a low aspect ratio from the MFS to a surface recessed from and parallel to the MFS. The main pole comprises a first leading edge taper angle (LETA), a second LETA less than the first LETA, a first trailing edge taper angle (TETA), and a second TETA less than the first TETA. The main pole further comprises a first flare recessed a first distance from the MFS, the first flare having a first angle, and a second flare recessed a second distance from the MFS greater than the first distance, the second flare having a second angle greater than the first angle.

A heat-assisted magnetic recording device includes a write pole positionable adjacent a magnetic recording medium and configured to write data to the medium. A near-field transducer is situated proximate the write pole and configured to produce a thermal spot on the medium. A channel circuit is configured to generate a sequence of symbols having a length of nT, where T is a channel clock rate and n is an integer over a predetermined range. A write driver is configured to apply bi-directional write currents to the write pole to record the sequence of symbols at a location of the thermal spot on the medium, wherein a duration of applying the write currents to the write pole by the write driver is dependent on a length of the sequence of symbols and the effective thermal spot size.

An apparatus comprises a write pole for writing data to a magnetic recording medium and a near-field transducer (NFT) optically coupled to a laser source and configured to produce a thermal spot on the medium. A laser driver applies laser operation power (Iop) to the laser source. A channel circuit generates symbols having a length of nT, where T is a channel clock rate and n is an integer. The laser driver applies Iop to the laser source and a write driver applies bi-directional write currents to the write pole to record the symbols at a location of the thermal spot on the medium, wherein a duration of applying Iop to the laser source by the laser driver is dependent on a length of the symbols and the effective thermal spot size.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic recording device includes a magnetic head, and an electrical circuit. The magnetic head includes a first magnetic pole, a second magnetic pole, and a stacked body provided between the first and the second magnetic poles. The stacked body includes a first nonmagnetic layer, a first magnetic layer provided between the first nonmagnetic layer and the second magnetic pole, a first layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic pole, a second nonmagnetic layer provided between the first layer and the second magnetic pole, a second magnetic layer provided between the second nonmagnetic layer and the second magnetic pole, and a third nonmagnetic layer provided between the second magnetic layer and the second magnetic pole. The electrical circuit supplies, to the stacked body, a first current having a first orientation from the second magnetic pole toward the first magnetic pole.

A spin transfer torque reversal assisted magnetic recording (STRAMR) structure is disclosed wherein two flux change layers (FCL1 and FCL2) are formed within a write gap (WG) and between a main pole (MP) trailing side and trailing shield (TS). Each FCL has a magnetization that flips to a direction substantially opposing a WG field when a direct current of sufficient current density is applied across the STRAMR device thereby increasing reluctance in the WG and producing a larger write field output at the air bearing surface. A reference layer (RL1) is used to reflect spin polarized electrons that exert spin torque on FCL1 and cause FCL1 magnetization to flip. A second reference layer (or the MP or TS) is employed to reflect spin polarize electrons that generate spin torque on FCL2 and flip FCL2 magnetization. Non-spin polarization preserving layers and spin polarization preserving layers are also in the STRAMR structure.

Disclosed herein are magnetic recording devices and methods of using them. A magnetic recording device comprises a main pole extending to an air-bearing surface (ABS), a trailing shield extending to the ABS, a write-field-enhancing structure disposed between and coupled to the main pole and the trailing shield at the ABS, a write coil configured to magnetize the main pole, a write current control circuit coupled to the write coil and configured to apply a write current to the write coil, wherein the write current comprises a write pulse, and a bias current control circuit coupled to the write-field-enhancing structure and configured to apply a bias current to the write-field-enhancing structure, wherein the bias current comprises a driving pulse offset in time from the write pulse by a delay, wherein the delay substantially coincides with an expected magnetization switch-time lag of a free layer of the write-field-enhancing structure.

An apparatus, in accordance with one embodiment, includes a write transducer having a pair of writer poles having pole tips, the pole tips defining a write gap therebetween. A thin film device is positioned at least in part in the write gap for raising a local temperature of the write gap. Electrical connections for causing a current to pass through the thin film device are also present. A method, in accordance with one embodiment, includes passing a current through a thin film device positioned at least in part in a write gap defined between pole tips of writer poles of a write transducer for causing heating of the thin film device. A level of the current is changed in response to detection of a predefined condition.

According to one embodiment, a controller of a magnetic disk device determines whether or not to cause a magnetic flux control unit to generate a magnetic field, and in accordance with the determination result, causes a control circuit to apply a drive voltage to the magnetic flux control unit so that an assisted recording area and a non-assisted recording area are provided in a magnetic disk mixedly as desired.

A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) hard disk drive has a gas-bearing slider supporting a near-field transducer (NFT) and a NFT temperature sensor (NTS). An optional first IVC circuitry may provide a bias voltage to the slider body to assure substantially zero electrical potential between the slider body and the disk to minimize slider-disk contact and lubrication pick-up. A second IVC circuitry operates independently of the first IVC circuitry and provides a negative bias voltage to the NTS (and the connected NFT) relative to the disk to minimize the adverse effects of excessive heating on the NFT.

According to one embodiment, a method for evaluating a magnetic head is disclosed. The method can include measuring an electrical characteristic of a current path when an alternating-current magnetic field is applied to the magnetic head. The magnetic head includes the current path. The current path includes an oscillator. The method can include, based on the electrical characteristic, deriving a frequency value relating to an oscillation frequency of the oscillator.