The magnetic tape has a magnetic layer containing ferromagnetic powder and binder on a nonmagnetic support, wherein the coercive force measured in the longitudinal direction of the magnetic tape is less than or equal to 167 kA/m, a timing-based servo pattern is present on the magnetic layer, and the edge shape specified by observing the timing-based servo pattern with a magnetic force microscope is a shape in which the difference between the value L.sub.99.9 of the 99.9% cumulative distribution function of the width of misalignment from the ideal shape in the longitudinal direction of the magnetic tape and the value L.sub.0.1 of the 0.1% cumulative distribution function, L.sub.99.9L.sub.0.1, is less than or equal to 180 nm.

The magnetic tape has a magnetic layer containing ferromagnetic powder and binder on a nonmagnetic support, wherein the coercive force measured in the longitudinal direction of the magnetic tape is less than or equal to 167 kA/m, a timing-based servo pattern is present on the magnetic layer, and the edge shape specified by observing the timing-based servo pattern with a magnetic force microscope is a shape in which the difference between the value of the 99.9% cumulative distribution function of the width of misalignment from the ideal shape in the longitudinal direction of the magnetic tape and the value L.sub.0.1 of the 0.1% cumulative distribution function, L.sub.99.9-L.sub.0.1, is less than or equal to 180 nm.

A magnetic recording medium is a magnetic recording medium having a tape shape and includes a substrate, an underlayer provided on the substrate, and a magnetic layer provided on the underlayer. The magnetic layer has a surface having an uneven shape, a height range H obtained from statistical information of a height of the uneven shape is in a range of 4.00 nmH10.00 nm, and a gradient range A obtained from statistical information of a gradient of the uneven shape is in a range of 2.50 degreesA.

A magnetic tape medium includes at least one servo band along a longitudinal extension of the tape medium which at least one servo band comprises servo patterns organized in servo frames for supporting to determine positional information. At least one of the servo frames includes a first burst comprising at least two servo stripes inclined at a first angle with respect to a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal extension of the tape medium, followed by a second burst including at least two servo stripes inclined at a second angle with respect to a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal extension of the tape medium, which second angle is different from the first angle. At least one of the stripes of the first burst has a first magnetic polarity and at least one of the stripes of the second burst has a second magnetic polarity different from the first magnetic polarity.

The magnetic tape includes a non-magnetic support, and a magnetic layer containing a ferromagnetic powder, in which an absolute value N of a difference between a refractive index Nxy measured in an in-plane direction of the magnetic layer and a refractive index Nz measured in a thickness direction of the magnetic layer is 0.25 or more and 0.40 or less, and standard deviation a of the N in a width direction of the magnetic layer is 0.05 or less.

[Object] To provide a technology for writing a servo pattern that can be accurately read even when a data write head is disposed so as to be inclined with respect to a width direction of a magnetic tape, and the like.

[Solving Means] A servo recording apparatus according to the present technology includes: a servo write head. The servo write head writes a first servo pattern and a second servo pattern to a plurality of servo bands of a magnetic tape, the first servo pattern and the second servo pattern being asymmetric with respect to a width direction of the magnetic tape, the magnetic tape being used in a data recording apparatus that includes a data write head disposed such that a longitudinal direction of the data write head is inclined with respect to the width direction of the magnetic tape by a first head azimuth angle.

A servo pattern recording head includes: a plurality of head cores that are magnetically separated from each other; and a plurality of gap patterns that are formed on a front surface of each of the plurality of head cores and that are used for recording a plurality of servo patterns in a width direction of a magnetic tape by applying a magnetic field to the magnetic tape in response to a pulse current, in which the plurality of gap patterns are formed on the front surface along a direction corresponding to the width direction, and the plurality of gap patterns deviate from each other at a predetermined interval in a direction corresponding to a longitudinal direction of the magnetic tape between the gap patterns adjacent to each other along the direction corresponding to the width direction.

Provided is a magnetic recording medium configured to achieve higher density recording. The magnetic recording medium has a tape-like shape, and includes: a base containing polyester as a main constituent; and a magnetic layer provided on the base, including a plurality of magnetic powders, and configured to record a data signal. An average thickness of the magnetic recording medium is 5.6 m or less. An average thickness of the base is 4.2 m or less. An average thickness of the magnetic layer is 90 nm or less. An average aspect ratio of the magnetic powders is 1.0 or greater and 3.0 or less. A coercivity in a perpendicular direction is 3000 oersted or less. A rate of a coercivity in a longitudinal direction to the coercivity in the perpendicular direction is 0.8 or less. The magnetic layer includes a lubricant. An entire BET specific surface area of the magnetic recording medium from which the lubricant has been removed is 2.5 m.sup.2/g or greater.

Provided are a computer program product, device, system, and method for single data band data storage. In one embodiment, a tape head module has an array of four servo transducer elements for each servo band of a tape and an array of reader/writer transducer elements extending over most of the width of the tape. In another embodiment, a data storage tape has a top servo band positioned adjacent a top edge guard band of the tape, a bottom servo band positioned adjacent a bottom edge guard band of the tape, and a single data band positioned between the top and bottom servo bands and configured to receive tracks of data written by a tape head wherein the single data band width extends over most of the tape width.

Provided are a computer program product, device, system, and method for single data band data storage. In one embodiment, a tape head module has an array of four servo transducer elements for each servo band of a tape and an array of reader/writer transducer elements extending over most of the width of the tape. In another embodiment, a data storage tape has a top servo band positioned adjacent a top edge guard band of the tape, a bottom servo band positioned adjacent a bottom edge guard band of the tape, and a single data band positioned between the top and bottom servo bands and configured to receive tracks of data written by a tape head wherein the single data band width extends over most of the tape width.