Flying height influence on vertical recording on rigid disks

Reading spacing losses are measured, and the relationship between gap length and the flying height, h, is discussed. It is shown that linear recording density depends strongly on h. Very high densities can be obtained if h is reduced, and this is achieved by reducing the recording velocity for both vertical and longitudinal media. It is shown that the improvement due to a short gap length is only efficient if h is decreased. Observations of isolated pulses shape revealed that the writing field distribution in the recording layer is deeply disturbed by changes in h