Vector recording in perpendicular media

A dynamic hierarchical micromagnetic model has been used to study the effect of off-axis (in-plane) fields upon the recording properties of perpendicular media. The transient and high-frequency switching response are improved. On longer timescales, the susceptibility and squareness are significantly increased. However, transitions written in the medium with a pole head change only slightly when the in-plane field is included. This is because the transition gets written at a point where the head field gradient is lower and because in-plane demagnetizing fields act to reduce the in-plane head field.