Magnetization dynamics of a flux control device fabricated in the write gap of a hard-disk-drive write head for high-density recording

The design concept of microwave-assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) using the flux control (FC) effect has been proposed as a technology for hard disk drives (HDDs). In this type of MAMR, the magnetization of an in-gap device (FC device) is reversed against the gap field by spin-transfer torque, enhancing the amplitude and gradient of the recording field. In this paper, we study the magnetization dynamics of an FC device fabricated in the write gap of an HDD write head. The operation of the FC device is analyzed by measuring the temporal resistance change in the sub-nanosecond region. Reversal of the FC device becomes faster as the bias current is increased and can be completed by 0.5 ns after the transition of the write current. The experimental results are reproduced by micromagnetic simulations using a head model, confirming that the simulations correctly describe the magnetization dynamics of the actual device. The simulations show that the recording field gain by the FC device appears with little delay after the rise of the recording field and that the FC device operates effectively even at a fast write rate of approximately 3 Gbit/s. Furthermore, we demonstrate the effectiveness of boosting the bias current, which can realize both fast and reliable operation of the FC device. These results indicate that the FC device operates as designed and that MAMR using the FC effect is promising for extending the recording density of HDDs.