.... This reversible degradation was attributed to inverse magnetostriction from thermal stresses and erasure by thermal excitation and surrounding erase fields. Our experiments involved speeds of less than 500 nm/sec. Thus, thermal stresses that might cause inverse magnetostriction were absent. In light...

... material has low thermal conductivity or if the magnetic layer is damaged. We conclude that if the disk is not plastically damaged by high-speed contacts, then the magnetostriction effect or stress-induced erasure is insignificant. In this case, the dominant factor in erasure is a rise in the interfacial...