Trinity College-based research centre CRANN has begun a collaboration with Western Digital on the development of new technology to improve data storage in hard drives.
Heat assisted magnetic recording will allow 10 times more data to be stored on hard drives without increasing their physical size. It will drive further increases in disk drive capacity which is the primary method for storage of the mass information generated in all aspects of life.
The new technology that CRANN is researching involves an optimised light delivery system that will allow a laser to focus energy at dimensions below 50nm on a magnetic material – approximately 1,000 times smaller than the width of a typical human hair. This precise focus causes a localised temperature change to occur, which enables data storage at higher densities. The technology is extendible to much smaller spot sizes to enable higher capacity storage. An added benefit of this new implementation is an increased robustness and durability essential to reliable hard drives using heat assisted magnetic recording.
Dr Diarmuid O’Brien, executive director of CRANN, said: "This collaboration with Western Digital is a reflection of CRANN’s growing international reputation for quality research and researchers. As more and more people seek to store increased amounts of information, technology improvements are required to make the process more efficient. With this research, Irish scientists can help in providing the solution."
CRANN’s work is funded by Science Foundation Ireland.
Niall Kitson
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