The physics of particulate magnetic recording media: Areas for exploration (invited)

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Abstract
Information densities recorded on particulate media have continued to increase, with no obvious end in sight. However, many key physical phenomena critical to the advancement of magnetic recording in particulate media are not understood at a fundamental level. This is especially true in the area of surface modification and other interfacial phenomena. These can modify magnetization intensities and anisotropy energies, the crucial parameters in particulate recording materials. As particles are made smaller, in the quest for higher information densities, surface effects become increasingly important. Further studies are needed, aided by measurements on thin-film surfaces and on particles even smaller than those of practical recording use. Also, there exist independent bodies of material science, such as fracture mechanics and corrosion science, where chemisorption in submonolayer quantities substantially modifies the measured response of covalent and ionic materials. Understanding of the phenomena from these collateral sciences may lead to improved modeling of the magnetic behavior of magnetic particles.