High-density beam-addressable recording using thermomagnetic transfer

A new magnetic recording technology providing data storage at high areal density with rapid access by laser beam addressing is presented. Information is written on a magnetic buffer medium at high linear density by a conventional head having a tracking width of dimensions readily realizable. A narrow section of the written track is thermomagnetically transferred onto a second magnetic medium by a focused laser beam, for storage. Reading is performed by thermomagnetically retransferring, using the addressing laser beam, the required narrow data track from the second to the first magnetic medium, where it is read by a conventional magnetic head which may have a tracking width substantially larger than the stored tracks. Results indicate the feasibility of storing data at densities as high as 7900 flux changes per cm (20,000 per inch) and 790 tracks per cm (2000 per inch).