Magnetic recording layer - a layer of semi-hard magnetic material used to store information in form of the direction or magnitude of magnetisation.¹⁾²⁾

In modern hard drives the magnetic recording layer is designed to store the information in granular “columns” aligned perpendicularly to the surface of the rotating disk. The magnetically semi-hard layer is backed with a magnetically soft layer which guides and concentrates the magnetic flux generated by the recording head as well as the reading head.³⁾⁴⁾⁵⁾

Cross-section view through a perpendicular recording hard disk structure (made from CoCrPt-SiO₂): a) diagram, b) TEM image^{6) Y. Zhang, A. Shakil, H. Wang, X. Li, H. Tang, A.A. Polycarpou, Nature, Scientific Reports, CC-BY-4.0}

TEM planar (top) views of the magnetic recording layer of a hard disk (CoCrPt-SiO₂)^{7) Y. Zhang, A. Shakil, H. Wang, X. Li, H. Tang, A.A. Polycarpou, Nature, Scientific Reports, CC-BY-4.0}

• Semi-hard magnetic materials
• Hard disk
• Data storage