Speaker:
Manfred E. Schabes, Hitachi San Jose Research Center, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, San Jose, California

Title:
“The physics of magnetic recording at ultra-high densities”

Abstract:
Today’s computers process large amounts of digital data that are stored on disk-drives at very high densities and are available at fast data-rates. In my talk I will provide highlights of the physics that makes possible a technology that covers the needs of a wide range of applications, from supercomputing to commodity consumer-electronics. In particular, I will discuss the spatial and temporal scales involved during the writing of bits onto magnetic thin-films using micromagnetic theory and simulations. The dynamic magnetization processes are analyzed both in the magnetically hard media as well as in the magnetically soft write-heads. Reading of the stored information uses transducers employing GMR or TMR magneto-transport effects. In this seminar, I hope to give the non-specialist an overview of the many interesting multi-scale/multi-physics phenomena that guide us in developing novel magnetic materials and devices along the path of ever increasing performance and scope of magnetic technology.
 

Host:
John Neumeier