Patent ID: 8081542
Filing Date: 2011-12-20
Classification: B82Y,G11B

Abstract:
1. A thermally-assisted recording (TAR) patterned-media magnetic recording disk drive comprising: a rotatable magnetic recording disk having a plurality of concentric data tracks, each data track patterned into discrete data islands separated by nonmagnetic spaces, each island comprising at least two stacked magnetic cells having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, each cell in an island being separated from the other cells in its island, the highest cell in the stack having a coercivity H a write head for applying to the data islands a magnetic write field less than H a laser light source capable of supplying at least two levels of laser output power; an optical channel and near-field transducer for directing radiation from the light source to the disk to heat the data islands; wherein a first level of laser power P a carrier for supporting the write head and near-field transducer, the carrier having a disk-facing surface maintained at a distance less than the wavelength of the laser light from the disk.