Effect of Interlayer on Read Write Processes in Perpendicular Recording

The interlayer in perpendicular recording affects the distance between the head and the soft underlayer (SUL, or keeper) and thus plays an important role in overall recording performance. We investigate the effect of interlayer thickness on read write processes in perpendicular recording. We show that different media designs lead to different responses during the write process. On the other hand, the effect of the interlayer thickness on the read-back process is more complicated; reducing the interlayer thickness may not necessarily lead to better performance.