Researchers from NIMS, Seagate Technology, and Tohoku University have developed an innovative technology for hard disk drives (HDD), making it possible to store much more data on the same disk. This innovation promises to reduce costs and energy consumption in data centers.
Comparative diagram of the current HAMR system and the new three-dimensional magnetic recording system. The latter adjusts laser power to write data based on the specific temperature of each layer of the disk.
Credit: Yukiko Takahashi NIMS, Thomas Chang Seagate Technology, Simon Greaves Tohoku University
Current hard drives use a technique called perpendicular magnetic recording to store data, with a capacity of 1.5 Tbit per square inch. The new method, heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR), could exceed 10 Tbit per square inch by storing multiple levels of data on the same disk.
The secret to this technology lies in the use of multiple layers of FePt, a magnetic material, separated by layers of Ru. Each layer of FePt can be individually manipulated with the laser, allowing for multi-level recording. Future steps include miniaturizing FePt grains to further enhance storage capacity: a development that could multiply the capacity of current hard drives tenfold?
This advancement could lead to hard drives that store much more information while taking up less space, a crucial advancement for the energy efficiency of data centers.
The research was detailed in the March 24, 2024, issue of the journal
Acta Materialia.