Abstrac;:t Application of high-saturation magnetization material for the thin film head is desirable for achieving high density recording. In this paper, the possibility of realizing high density magnetic recording by thin film heads was studied based on read/write measurements, two-dimensional head field calculations and the reciprocity principle. Three thin film heads with different saturation magnetization and sputtered thin fi lm media were used. Saturation magnetization for each head were

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... . 0 T, 1. 3 T and 2.0 T respectively. It was recognized that a head field at the bottom of the media greater than 1. 3 times the coercivity was necessary to obtain high recording density. Recording density D50 over 40 kFCI could be ascertained by the head with 2. 0 T pole pieces at the head-to-medium spacing of O. 22 J.lrIl. Comparison between longitudi nal recording and perpendicular recording are also discussed based on recording density D50.