Microwave-assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) has been proposed as a candidate technology to realize areal recording densities of over 2 Tbit/inch2. MAMR requires a spin-torque oscillator (STO) to generate a strong high-frequency magnetic field that will induce magnetic resonance in the recording medium. The oscillation characteristics of STOs were previously investigated using a micromagnetic model that neglected the magnetic interaction among the STO, the single-pole-type (SPT) writer, and the recording head. The STO is typically placed in the gap between the main pole and the trailing shield of the SPT writer, so that the STO is inevitably subjected to strong magnetic interaction with the main pole and the trailing shield. We have developed a new simulator, referred to as an integrated MAMR simulator, that takes this interaction into account. The integrated simulator has revealed that the magnetic interaction has a strong influence on the oscillation characteristics.

Write linear density limit is defined to analyze the magnetic recording process in computer hard disk drives at extremely high recording densities. The digital data with pseudo random sequences are recorded numerically in longitudinal media at different densities by a micromagnetic simulation model. A thin film write head and an ideal GMR read head are utilized in the record and read-back process, respectively. A novel method has been utilized to study the write linear density limit: the simulated read back voltage and the respected linear superposed pulses are compared to find the distortion in the record process. When a severe distortion shows up, the corresponding linear density is considered as the write linear density limit. By the novel method, the write linear density limit is analyzed with different parameters of the recording media.

A simplified model is set up to study the high frequency response in a thin film head, where two pieces of Fe-Al-N films are placed parallel to each other with opposite alternating external magnetic field applied. In this model, the frequency response of magnetic clusters is calculated by a micromagnetic model based on the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equations, and the initial permeability of mesoscopic Fe-Al-N thin films is analyzed in a wide frequency region from 10 to 5000 MHz. The model of a soft magnetic thin film is built up on the ripple structure of the anisotropy field of magnetic clusters. The magnetization interaction between the two Fe-Al-N films is carefully computed to find its effect on the frequency response. The frequency response in a single mesoscopic Fe-Al-N thin film is carefully studied in advance.

Metal particulate tape is one of the most advanced tape media to offer excellent performance at high recording densities. An accurate micromagnetic model of the metal particulate tape has been developed to analyze the magnetic properties of MP tapes. Both particle size distributions and orientation distribution are included in the model, and the magnetostatic interactions among particles are accurately calculated with the shape of ellipsoids. A partial mean field approximation applied in the calculation is proved to be effective by M-H loop analysis.

A three-dimensional micromagnetic simulation using the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation was performed for thin-film magnetic recording media and magnetoresistive (MR) heads with soft adjacent layers (SAL). For recording media the simulation results for magnetization curves and media noise were compared with the results of experiments. Although the media model needs to be improved, the qualitative agreement between simulation results and experimental results shows that this micromagnetic simulation can be a useful tool for analyzing and predicting magnetic properties and recording characteristics. This work also showed that media noise is influenced by magnetostatic interaction, and that the decrease of the magnetostatic interaction is favorable for obtaining a high signal-to-noise ratio. For an MR head the output obtained with a nonuniform sense current distribution is similar to the output obtained with uniform sense current distribution for both low and high anisotropy fields (Hk=2 Oe and 10 Oe) SAL. With the low Hk SAL, however, the asymmetry of the output obtained for nonuniform sense current differs from the asymmetry obtained for uniform sense current; the difference is due to a magnetization vortex in a biased state in the SAL. With the high Hk SAL, the difference between the asymmetry obtained for nonuniform sense current and the one obtained for uniform sense current is not large; no vortices are found in the SAL at the biased state.