Magnetic head slider employing superconductor for levitation

A slider assembly for supporting a magnetic transducer at a predetermined uniform spacing with respect to the surface of a relatively moveable magnetic recording medium comprising:

• a magnetic recording medium having magnetically recorded data on a surface thereof;
• a slider body having first and second surfaces, said first surface having a predetermined contour and being positioned to face the surface of said magnetic recording medium;
• a layer of a superconducting material on said first surface of said slider, said superconducting material having a critical temperature below which superconducting properties are exhibited;
• a magnetic transducer supported on said second surface of said slider body;
• means for maintaining said slider assembly in the presence of a predetermined gas;
• and
• means for cooling said slider assembly to a temperature below the critical temperature of said superconductor material whereby said slider and said magnetic transducer are levitated to a predetermined small uniform spacing above the surface of said magnetic recording medium due to the magnetic forces between the magnetized magnetic recording medium and said layer of superconducting material and the slider assembly is then maintained at a desired spacing above the surface of said magnetic recording medium due to the combined effects of said magnetic forces and the aerodynamic forces produced by relative motion in said predetermined gas on said predetermined contour of said slider assembly

A magnetic recording disk file comprising:

• a rotatable magnetic recording disk having magnetically recorded data on a surface thereof;
• a slider body having first and second surfaces, said first surface positioned to face said surface of said magnetic recording disk;
• a layer of a superconducting material on said first surface of said slider;
• means for maintaining said superconducting material at a temperature below the critical temperature at which superconducting properties are exhibited;
• a magnetic transducer supported on said second surface of said slider body;
• an actuator attached to said slider body for moving said slider body and said supported magnetic transducer generally radially with respect to said magnetic recording disk;
• and
• means for maintaining said slider body in a vacuum of a predetermined level, wherein said slider body and said magnetic transducer are levitated to a predetermined small uniform spacing above said surface of said magnetic recording disk due to magnetic forces between the magnetized magnetic recording disk and said layer of superconducting material.

A magnetic recording disk file comprising

• a rotatable magnetic recording disk having magnetically recorded data on a surface thereof;
• a slider body having first and second surfaces, said first surface having a predetermined contour, and being positioned to face said surface of said magnetic recording disk;
• a layer of a superconducting material on said first surface of said slider;
• means for maintaining said superconducting material at a temperature below the critical temperature at which superconducting properties are exhibited;
• a magnetic transducer supported on said second surface of said slider body;
• an actuator attached to said slider body for moving said slider body and said supported magnetic transducer generally radially with respect to said magnetic recording disk;
• and
• means for maintaining said slider body in the presence of a predetermined gas, wherein said slider body and said magnetic transducer are levitated to a predetermined small uniform spacing above said surface of said magnetic recording disk due to the magnetic forces between the magnetized magnetic recording disk and said layer of superconducting material and the slider assembly is then maintained at a desired spacing above the surface of said magnetic recording medium due to the combined effects of said magnetic forces and the aerodynamic forces produced by relative motion in said predetermined gas on said predetermined contour of said slider assembly.