Effect of Spin-Torque Oscillator Tilt Angle in Microwave-Assisted Magnetic Recording

Microwave-assisted magnetic recording with a tilted spin-torque oscillator (STO) was examined. Tilting the STO toward the trailing shield of a write head makes it easier to achieve stable oscillation. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of written tracks was examined using an analytical head field distribution based on a finite-element model of a write head. The maximum SNR was similar for a range of STO tilt angles, but the optimum position of the STO in the write head gap depended on the STO tilt angle.