Microwave assisted magnetic recording drive utilizing interlaced track recording

An apparatus, comprising:

• interface circuitry operable to control a spin-torque oscillator of a single microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) head;
• and
• a controller coupled to the interface circuitry, the controller configured to:
• write bottom tracks to a recording medium of the apparatus using the single MAMR head at a first setting of the spin-torque oscillator;
• write top tracks interlaced between and partially overlapping the bottom tracks using the single MAMR head at a second setting of the spin-torque oscillator, the first and second settings resulting in different bit aspect ratios for the top and bottom tracks.

A method, comprising:

• writing first bottom test tracks to a recording medium at a first setting of a spin-torque oscillator of a single microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR), linear bit densities of the first bottom tracks increased until a maximum allowable bit error rate is measured at a maximum linear bit density;
• starting with the maximum linear bit density, writing second bottom test tracks using the single MAMR head at the first setting, linear bit densities of the second bottom test tracks increased until a threshold bit error rate is determined corresponding to an operational bottom track linear bit density;
• writing top test tracks using the single MAMR head at a second setting of the spin torque oscillator over third bottom test tracks written at the operational bottom track linear bit density, linear bit densities of the top test tracks increased until a second maximum bit error rate is measured at an operational top track linear bit density;
• and
• using the operational bottom and top linear bit densities to record respective interleaved top and bottom operational tracks using the single MAMR head.