Abstract: A system according to one embodiment includes a magnetic recording medium having a magnetic layer with features in a discrete track configuration or a bit patterned configuration and an underlayer adjacent the magnetic layer, the underlayer comprising a material capable of forming surface plasmon resonance; and a magnetic head having: a writer for writing to the medium; and a near-field transducer for heating the medium for thermally assisted recording. Additional systems and methods are also presented.

Abstract: Components for, and assembly of, a thermally assisted recording device involve a laser mounted to a recording head slider. The output from the laser is directed into an optical waveguide, which delivers the laser light to the media to be written. Several challenges with thermally assisted recording are enabled by the use of a laser carrier, which holds and protects the small, relatively fragile laser and serves as a partial heat sink for the power generated by the laser. The laser, carrier and slider are bonded and can be interconnected as a unit to a suspension constituent to a hard disk drive (HDD) device.

Abstract: A system according to one embodiment includes a magnetic recording medium having a magnetic layer with features in a discrete track configuration or a bit patterned configuration and an underlayer adjacent the magnetic layer, the underlayer comprising a material capable of forming surface plasmon resonance; and a magnetic head having: a writer for writing to the medium; and a near-field transducer for heating the medium for thermally assisted recording. Additional systems and methods are also presented.

Abstract: A tree-structure memory device including a plurality of bit lines formed on a substrate and arranged in at least one plane substantially parallel to a substrate surface and extending substantially in a first direction, a plurality of layers having a plurality of memory cells arranged in a first array, a tree structure corresponding to a plurality of layers and a bit line; and a word-line group including at least one word line crossing with the tree structure, a memory cell of the first array being located at the first intersection region in a layer of said layers.

Abstract: A tree-structure memory device. A tree-structure memory device comprises a plurality of bit lines formed on a substrate and arranged in at least one plane substantially parallel to a substrate surface and extending substantially in a first direction. A plurality of layers having a plurality of memory cells is arranged in a first array. At least one tree structure corresponds to a plurality of layers and a bit line, and has a trunk portion and at least one branch portion that corresponds to one of the layers. A word-line group includes at least one word line crossing with the branch portion of the tree structure at a first intersection region. A memory cell of the first array is located at the first intersection region in a layer of the layers. The first array of memory cells includes at least one memory cell comprising a phase-change-material layer disposed between the word line and the branch portion of the tree structure at the first intersection region without an intervening current-steering element.

Abstract: Components for, and assembly of, a thermally assisted recording device involve a laser mounted to a recording head slider. The output from the laser is directed into an optical waveguide, which delivers the laser light to the media to be written. Several challenges with thermally assisted recording are enabled by the use of a laser carrier, which holds and protects the small, relatively fragile laser and serves as a partial heat sink for the power generated by the laser. The laser, carrier and slider are bonded and can be interconnected as a unit to a suspension constituent to a hard disk drive (HDD) device.

Abstract: A tree-structure memory device. A tree-structure memory device comprises a plurality of bit lines formed on a substrate and arranged in at least one plane substantially parallel to a substrate surface and extending substantially in a first direction. A plurality of layers having a plurality of memory cells is arranged in a first array. At least one tree structure corresponds to a plurality of layers and a bit line, and has a trunk portion and at least one branch portion that corresponds to one of the layers. A word-line group includes at least one word line crossing with the branch portion of the tree structure at a first intersection region. A memory cell of the first array is located at the first intersection region in a layer of the layers. The first array of memory cells includes at least one memory cell comprising a phase-change-material layer disposed between the word line and the branch portion of the tree structure at the first intersection region without an intervening current-steering element.

Abstract: A device includes an optical gain medium through which optical radiation is amplified. The device includes first and second reflectors disposed around the gain medium. One of the reflectors includes an emission region though which optical output is emitted and a metallic structure that has an array of features that couple the radiation to at least one surface plasmon mode of the structure, thereby enhancing the device's output. The device may be a laser, e.g., a diode laser. The emission region may have a width of, for example, between 10 and 100 nanometers, and this emission region may be in the shape of a rectangular slit. The optical radiation in the gain medium may be advantageously polarized perpendicularly to an axis along which a longer dimension of the emission region is oriented. The device is useful for data recording, e.g., thermally assisted data recording.

Abstract: Electromagnetic radiation from an optical source is directed onto a metallic structure. The metallic structure in turn emits optical output from an emission region in the structure and onto a recording medium (e.g., a magnetic recording disk), thereby heating the medium. The output from the emission region is enhanced due to surface plasmons in the metallic structure. The surface plasmons are generated by an array of features (such as ridges or trenches) in the metallic structure and act to increase the emitted optical output from the emission region beyond what the emitted optical output from the emission region would be in the absence of these features. The apparatus and associated method are useful for data recording, e.g., thermally assisted data recording.

Abstract: Electromagnetic radiation from an optical source is directed onto an optical aperture in a metallic structure. The metallic structure in turn emits optical output from an emission region in the structure and onto a recording medium (e.g., a magnetic recording disk), thereby heating the medium. The optical output is enhanced when the electromagnetic radiation from the optical source includes a frequency that matches a waveguide mode resonance in the metallic structure. Features (such as ridges or trenches) in the metallic structure may be used to further increase the emitted optical output beyond what the emitted optical output would be in the absence of these features. The apparatus and associated method are useful for data recording, e.g., thermally assisted data recording.

Abstract: A method and structure for a non-volatile magnetic random access memory (MRAM) device that has a stable magnetic electrode, an oxide layer adjacent the stable magnetic electrode, and a free magnetic electrode. The oxide layer is between the stable magnetic electrode and the free magnetic electrode. In the invention, a conductor is connected to a stable magnetic electrode. The oxide layer has a resistance at levels to allow sufficient power dissipation to lower the anisotropy of the free magnetic electrode through current induced heating. Current-induced heating is used in combination with spin-transfer torque or a magnetic field to switch the free magnetic electrode.

Abstract: A method and structure for a non-volatile magnetic random access memory (MRAM) device that has a stable magnetic electrode, an oxide layer adjacent the stable magnetic electrode, and a free magnetic electrode. The oxide layer is between the stable magnetic electrode and the free magnetic electrode. In the invention, a conductor is connected to a stable magnetic electrode. The oxide layer has a resistance at levels to allow sufficient power dissipation to lower the anisotropy of the free magnetic electrode through current induced heating. Current-induced heating is used in combination with spin-transfer torque or a magnetic field to switch the free magnetic electrode.

Abstract: Electromagnetic radiation from an optical source is directed onto an optical aperture in a metallic structure. The metallic structure in turn emits optical output from an emission region in the structure and onto a recording medium (e.g., a magnetic recording disk), thereby heating the medium. The optical output is enhanced when the electromagnetic radiation from the optical source includes a frequency that matches a waveguide mode resonance in the metallic structure. Features (such as ridges or trenches) in the metallic structure may be used to further increase the emitted optical output beyond what the emitted optical output would be in the absence of these features. The apparatus and associated method are useful for data recording, e.g., thermally assisted data recording.

Abstract: Electromagnetic radiation from an optical source is directed onto a metallic structure. The metallic structure in turn emits optical output from an emission region in the structure and onto a recording medium (e.g., a magnetic recording disk), thereby heating the medium. The output from the emission region is enhanced due to surface plasmons in the metallic structure. The surface plasmons are generated by an array of features (such as ridges or trenches) in the metallic structure and act to increase the emitted optical output from the emission region beyond what the emitted optical output from the emission region would be in the absence of these features. The apparatus and associated method are useful for data recording, e.g., thermally assisted data recording.