Exploring Two-Dimensional Magnetic Recording Gain Constraints

Two-dimensional magnetic recording (TDMR) offers the opportunity to provide areal density (AD) gain, but questions were unanswered as to how the gain is achieved and what can be done to maximize the gain from this new technology. In this paper, we offer some reasons why different investigators might report different AD gain opportunities. We present data collected on a spin stand with two reader heads and processed with a commercially available field programmable gate array TDMR channel. The implications of this paper should provide guidelines on reader geometries, placement, and performance.