Experimental feasibility of spin-torque oscillator with synthetic field generation layer for microwave assisted magnetic recording

We investigated the oscillation characteristics of a fabricated spin-torque oscillator (STO) with a synthetic field generation layer (FGL) composed of the FGL and perpendicular anisotropy magnetic layer in microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR). The fabricated STO was composed of a perpendicularly magnetized reference layer/interlayer/synthetic-FGL. The STO with synthetic-FGL showed very narrow peaks caused by spin-torque oscillation. We also found oscillating frequency of the fabricated STO increased as the external field increased. This implies that the FGL magnetization rotates out-of-plane. Calculations by micromagnetic simulation were qualitatively consistent with the STO measurements. The calculated magnetization configurations in the synthetic-FGL formed a single domain but the one in the single-FGL formed multiple domains. This is one reason that the synthetic-FGL is estimated to generate a larger ac-field. In sum, we experimentally confirmed the effective oscillation of fabricated STO with a synthetic-FGL even with a thick FGL and its feasibility for high areal density in MAMR. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3559539]