Spatial and vectorial characterization of thermal relaxation using the spin-stand imaging technique

Abstract

The spatial and vectorial characterization of thermal relaxation of recorded magnetization patterns by using the spin-stand imaging technique [I. D. Mayergoyz et al., J. Appl. Phys. 87, 6824 (2000); 89, 6772 (2001)] is reported. In order to obtain such characterization, a recorded track is scanned at successive instants of time over periods of 70 hours. As a result, the spatial distributions of the read-back voltages (that constitute the “raw” images of the track) are consecutively collected. The images of the vectorial magnetization are then reconstructed and local magnetization relaxation rates are subsequently evaluated. It is demonstrated that the spatially inhomogeneous and vectorial nature of thermal relaxation of recorded patterns may result in temporal track broadening. It is found that this temporal track broadening is more pronounced for disks with higher coercivities.