Contact: Chriss Swaney / 412-268-5776 / swaney@andrew.cmu.edu

Media Advisory: Carnegie Mellon's James Bain To Discuss
Future Alternatives to Traditional Magnetic Recording

Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor To Present Research Findings at National Conference

Event: Carnegie Mellon University's Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor James Bain, associate director of the university's Data Storage Systems Center (DSSC), and other members of the DSSC will discuss the future of traditional magnetic recording and other data storage issues at the 55th annual Conference on Magnetism and Magnetic Materials.

Bain will unveil a white paper that demonstrates that traditional perpendicular recording can last about two more years before needing to be replaced by alternatives. These alternatives include heat-assisted magnetic recording and bit patterned media (BPM), both of which represent major transitions for the industry. For economic reasons, the industry would like to extend the traditional approach as long as possible, however, the industry needed some independent assessment of the future with strong technical foundations to allow effective management of the transitions to these new technologies. This white paper supplies this type of analysis and has been warmly welcomed by the industry. It represents university researchers taking a leadership role in helping to chart the industry's future.

The research was conducted at the request of the industry and represents a collaboration between approximately 20 industry members and university faculty members, including DSSC Director and Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Professor Jimmy Zhu, ECE professors B. V. K. Vijaya Kumar, and Ken Mai, and Mechanical Engineering Professor William Messner.

Other Carnegie Mellon researchers attending the national conference include Material Science and Engineering professors Katyun Barmak and Michael McHenry, and Chemical Engineering Professor Myung Jhon.

When: 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Nov. 14-18.

Where: Hyatt Regency, 265 Peachtree St., Atlanta, Ga. 30303.

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Pictured above is James Bain.