In 2017, Professor Robert Bowman was appointed the Seagate Technology - Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in Advanced Materials for Data Storage at Queen’s University Belfast. The Academy’s Research Chairs and Senior Research Fellowships scheme strengthens the links between industry and academia by supporting exceptional academics in UK universities to undertake use-inspired research for five years, co-sponsored by an industrial partner.
Professor Robert Bowman had already collaborated with Seagate Technology for more than a decade before they joined forces on this five-year project to develop new materials for use in the next generation of hard drives.
It is estimated that the demand for data storage will grow at more than 20% per annum over the coming years. However, manufacturers are reaching a limit as to how much information they can store on hard disks. The magnetic process of writing data to disks is well-established but a new approach called heat assisted magnetic recording is the next development to store more data.
Professor Bowman is leading a team of 10 people working on research challenges such as finding alternative plasmonic materials. The conventional plasmonic materials lack thermal robustness and so his team are looking to identify, tailor, or engineer substances that can be consistently and reliably manufactured. It is also developing new synthetic systems that will help engineer the microwave magnetic response for materials for writing process.
Seagate Technology has a 40% share of the $40 billion data storage market. It employs 1,400 people in Derry, Northern Ireland. Professor Bowman’s work with the company also supports an EPSRC-SFI Centre for doctoral training in Photonic Integration and Advanced Data Storage that brings together a dozen UK companies in a supply chain to support and exploit heat-assisted magnetic recording.
His research will contribute to development of the critical component used in hard disk drives that will ultimately benefit everyone who uses information technology and accesses the internet.
Find out about current research opportunities and fellowships.
In 2017, Professor Robert Bowman was appointed the Seagate Technology - Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair in Advanced Materials for Data Storage at Queen’s University Belfast. The Academy’s Research Chairs and Senior Research Fellowships scheme strengthens the links between industry and academia by supporting exceptional academics in UK universities to undertake use-inspired research for five years, co-sponsored by an industrial partner.
Professor Robert Bowman had already collaborated with Seagate Technology for more than a decade before they joined forces on this five-year project to develop new materials for use in the next generation of hard drives.
It is estimated that the demand for data storage will grow at more than 20% per annum over the coming years. However, manufacturers are reaching a limit as to how much information they can store on hard disks. The magnetic process of writing data to disks is well-established but a new approach called heat assisted magnetic recording is the next development to store more data.
Professor Bowman is leading a team of 10 people working on research challenges such as finding alternative plasmonic materials. The conventional plasmonic materials lack thermal robustness and so his team are looking to identify, tailor, or engineer substances that can be consistently and reliably manufactured. It is also developing new synthetic systems that will help engineer the microwave magnetic response for materials for writing process.
Seagate Technology has a 40% share of the $40 billion data storage market. It employs 1,400 people in Derry, Northern Ireland. Professor Bowman’s work with the company also supports an EPSRC-SFI Centre for doctoral training in Photonic Integration and Advanced Data Storage that brings together a dozen UK companies in a supply chain to support and exploit heat-assisted magnetic recording.
His research will contribute to development of the critical component used in hard disk drives that will ultimately benefit everyone who uses information technology and accesses the internet.
Find out about current research opportunities and fellowships.
