The present disclosure relates to read head apparatus, and methods of forming read head apparatus, for magnetic storage devices, such as magnetic tape drives (e.g., tape drives). In one implementation, a read head for magnetic storage devices includes a lower shield, an upper shield, one or more lower leads, and a plurality of upper leads. The read head includes a plurality of read sensors, each read sensor of the plurality of read sensors including a first antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer. The read head includes a plurality of soft bias side shields disposed between and outwardly of the plurality of read sensors. The read head includes a plurality of second AFM layers disposed below the plurality of soft bias side shields along a downtrack direction.

Magnetic media including a magnetic recording layer structure formed of alternating magnetic recording sublayers and non-magnetic exchange control sublayers. The magnetic recording layer structure may include at least one magnetic recording sublayer formed to include a pair of thin films, with the films having different concentrations of platinum, ruthenium, and/or oxide segregants. That is, the sublayer has a “dual layer” structure. The dual layer structure can provide a gradient in magnetic anisotropy, saturation magnetization, and/or intergranular magnetic exchange coupling across the sublayer. In some examples, the film nearer to the substrate of the magnetic media has a higher platinum concentration than the other film. In one aspect, the magnetic media includes the substrate and the magnetic recording layer structure on the substrate, with the structure including six magnetic recording sublayers. In another aspect, a method of fabricating magnetic media with such structures is provided.

The magnetic recording medium includes a non-magnetic support; and a magnetic layer containing a ferromagnetic powder, in which the magnetic layer includes an abrasive, the abrasive is a carbide, an average primary particle diameter of the abrasive is 10 nm or more and 100 nm or less, and in an electron microscope image of a surface of the magnetic layer, assuming that a total area occupied by the abrasive is 100%, a ratio of an area occupied by the abrasive present in an aggregated state having a maximum Feret diameter of 0.2 .Math.m or more is 50% or more.

A magnetic recording tape comprises a tape substrate, a perpendicular magnetic recording layer disposed over the tape substrate, and a soft-magnetic underlayer disposed between the recording layer and the tape substrate. The perpendicular magnetic recording layer comprises magnetic particles suspended in a binder material, and the soft-magnetic underlayer comprises a continuous film of soft-magnetic material. The magnetic particles in the recording layer comprise one of barium ferrite, strontium ferrite, epsilon iron oxide and chromium dioxide. Tape storage apparatus employing such tape is also provided. The apparatus comprises a read/write head having at least one probe write-head for writing data by perpendicular recording on magnetic tape, at least one reel of magnetic tape as defined above, and a tape transport mechanism for transporting the magnetic tape past the read/write head.

Provided are a magnetic recording medium including a non-magnetic support, and a magnetic layer including a ferromagnetic powder. The ferromagnetic powder is an ε-iron oxide powder, and an intensity ratio (Int1/Int2) of diffraction intensities obtained by an X-ray diffraction analysis of the magnetic layer using an In-Plane method after the magnetic layer is pressed at a pressure of 70 atm is 1.0 or more and 6.5 or less, a magnetic tape cartridge and a magnetic recording and reproducing device each including the magnetic recording medium.

Magnetic media including a magnetic recording layer structure formed of alternating magnetic recording sublayers and non-magnetic exchange control sublayers. The magnetic recording layer structure may include at least one magnetic recording sublayer formed to include a pair of thin films, with the films having different concentrations of platinum, ruthenium, and/or oxide segregants. That is, the sublayer has a “dual layer” structure. The dual layer structure can provide a gradient in magnetic anisotropy, saturation magnetization, and/or intergranular magnetic exchange coupling across the sublayer. In some examples, the film nearer to the substrate of the magnetic media has a higher platinum concentration than the other film. In one aspect, the magnetic media includes the substrate and the magnetic recording layer structure on the substrate, with the structure including six magnetic recording sublayers. In another aspect, a method of fabricating magnetic media with such structures is provided.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a magnetic pole, a first shield, a first magnetic layer provided between the magnetic pole and the first shield, a second magnetic layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the first shield, and an intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The intermediate layer is nonmagnetic. A first distance between the magnetic pole and the first magnetic layer along a first direction is not less than 1% and not more than 10% of a second distance between the magnetic pole and the first shield along the first direction. The first direction is from the first magnetic layer toward the second magnetic layer.

According to one embodiment, a magnetic head includes a magnetic pole, a first shield, a first magnetic layer provided between the magnetic pole and the first shield, a second magnetic layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the first shield, and an intermediate layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer. The intermediate layer is nonmagnetic. A first distance between the magnetic pole and the first magnetic layer along a first direction is not less than 1% and not more than 10% of a second distance between the magnetic pole and the first shield along the first direction. The first direction is from the first magnetic layer toward the second magnetic layer.

Disclosed herein are magnetic storage media with embedded disconnected circuits, and magnetic storage systems comprising such media. A magnetic storage media comprises a recording layer comprising a storage location, and an embedded disconnected circuit (EDC) configured to assist in at least one of writing to or reading from the storage location in response to a wireless activation signal. A magnetic storage system comprises a signal generator configured to generate a wireless activation signal, a magnetic storage media with a plurality of storage locations, and a write transducer and/or a read receiver. The magnetic storage media has at least one EDC configured to assist in writing to and/or reading from at least one of the plurality of storage locations in response to the wireless activation signal.

Disclosed herein are magnetic storage media with embedded disconnected circuits, and magnetic storage systems comprising such media. A magnetic storage media comprises a recording layer comprising a storage location, and an embedded disconnected circuit (EDC) configured to assist in at least one of writing to or reading from the storage location in response to a wireless activation signal. A magnetic storage system comprises a signal generator configured to generate a wireless activation signal, a magnetic storage media with a plurality of storage locations, and a write transducer and/or a read receiver. The magnetic storage media has at least one EDC configured to assist in writing to and/or reading from at least one of the plurality of storage locations in response to the wireless activation signal.