Microstructural effects in computer simulations of the magnetic and recording properties of thin film media

The effects of microstructural disorder on the micromagnetic simulations of the magnetic properties of recording media are described. Techniques for the generation of random structures are given in detail. We also outline some of the techniques used for the current calculation of magnetostatic fields, which is especially difficult for disordered systems. Finally, we describe the effects of microstructural disorder on the bulk magnetic properties and also introduce an overview of the effects of low coercivity grains which is an extreme form of disorder in the microstructure.