Patent ID: 9202495
Filing Date: 2015-12-01
Classification: G11B

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: a) positioning a disc head slider comprising a magnetic head relative to a track of a data storage medium, the magnetic head producing a readback signal from the data storage medium; b) inducing lateral modulation of the disc head slider and the magnetic head carried by the slider at a predetermined modulation frequency relative to the track with an actuator, wherein the actuator is distinct from the magnetic head; c) actuating an element of the magnetic head toward the storage medium during step b) by heating the element to cause thermal pole tip protrusion of the element toward the storage medium with respect to the disc head slider; and d) detecting a change in a response to the lateral modulation of the disc head slider due to the atomic interaction between the element and the storage medium by monitoring a change in phase of the readback signal produced by the magnetic head, and generating an output signal indicative of a zero spacing condition between the element of the magnetic head and the storage medium based on the change in phase.