Various illustrative aspects are directed to a data storage device, comprising one or more disks; an actuator mechanism configured to position one or more heads proximate to a corresponding disk surface of the one or more disks; and one or more processing devices. The selected head comprises a write element and an assistive energy emitter. The one or more processing devices are configured to apply an assistive energy current to the assistive energy emitter while refraining from applying a write current to the write element.

A HAMR data storage device may include a magnetic media and a slider comprising: a main pole, a waveguide, and a near-field transducer (NFT) situated between the main pole and the waveguide, wherein an air-bearing surface (ABS) of the slider comprises a transparent overcoat layer situated over the main pole, the waveguide, and the NFT, and wherein the transparent overcoat layer has a particular thickness such that, during an operational phase of the HAMR data storage device, a gap between a media-facing surface of the transparent overcoat layer and the magnetic media is less than about 0.5 nm.

According to one embodiment, a disk device includes a disk-shaped recording medium, a magnetic head including a write head, a read head, and a heater, and a controller including a reference signal generator outputting a reference signal having a constant voltage amplitude at the same frequency as a high-frequency component of a gap measurement signal recorded in the recording medium, a measurer measuring a component amplitude of a reproduced signal of the gap measurement signal and an amplitude of the reference signal, and a heater controller controlling a power value of heater power supplied to the heater based on the measured values of the component amplitude and the amplitude of the reference signal.

A method for calibrating a hard drive having a heat-assisted magnetic recording head is provided. The method includes performing, across an increasing temperature ramp, a first set of write/read operations using the head, performing, across a decreasing temperature ramp, a second set of write/read operations using the head, generating performance data associated with the head based on the first set of write/read operations and the second set of write/read operations, calculating a comparison value based on the performance data associated with the head and performance data associated with a plurality of heads, and adjusting an operating parameter value of the head based on the comparison value exceeding a threshold, the adjusted operating parameter reducing a likelihood that a laser of the head will exhibit write instability.

Various illustrative aspects are directed to a data storage device including one or more disks, an actuator mechanism configured to position a selected head among one or more heads proximate to a corresponding disk surface among the one or more disks, the selected head comprising a write element and an assistive energy emitter, and one or more processing devices configured to, individually or in combination: apply an assistive energy current to the assistive energy emitter while refraining from applying a write current to the write element, and vary a level of the assistive energy current over time while refraining from applying the write current to the write element.

Computing systems and methods for estimation and correction of audio pitch variations resulting from eccentric rotation in the playback of phonograph records are disclosed. The methods include simulation of phonograph playback to generate eccentric and non-eccentric time bases for correction. Estimation of eccentricity parameters is done by a parameter optimization through evaluation of a spectral sharpness detection function on time-spectral content of audio data. Candidate audio data are generated using phonograph simulation while conducting an optimal parameter search. The disclosed technology further provides systems and methods to correct audio using such parameters to correct the induced pitch variations from eccentric phonograph record playback in order to improve the pitch stability of audio recordings. In addition, the physical properties of groove radius and playback speed variations in phonograph playback may be estimated from the eccentric record playback.