Patents by Inventor John Bernard McGurk
John Bernard McGurk has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11328745Abstract: An apparatus includes a substrate. A laser is formed on a non-self supporting structure and bonded to the substrate. A waveguide having a gap portion is deposited proximate the laser. The waveguide is configured to communicate light from the laser to a near-field transducer (NFT) that directs energy resulting from plasmonic excitation to a recording medium. An optical isolator is disposed over the gap portion.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2021Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC.Inventors: John Bernard McGurk, Reyad Mehfuz, Christopher Neil Harvey, Aidan Dominic Goggin
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Publication number: 20210327463Abstract: An apparatus includes a substrate. A laser is formed on a non-self supporting structure and bonded to the substrate. A waveguide having a gap portion is deposited proximate the laser. The waveguide is configured to communicate light from the laser to a near-field transducer (NFT) that directs energy resulting from plasmonic excitation to a recording medium. An optical isolator is disposed over the gap portion.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 29, 2021Publication date: October 21, 2021Inventors: John Bernard McGurk, Reyad Mehfuz, Christopher Neil Harvey, Aidan Dominic Goggin
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Patent number: 11069376Abstract: An apparatus includes a substrate. A laser is formed on a non-self supporting structure and bonded to the substrate. A waveguide having a gap portion is deposited proximate the laser. The waveguide is configured to communicate light from the laser to a near-field transducer (NFT) that directs energy resulting from plasmonic excitation to a recording medium. An optical isolator is disposed over the gap portion.Type: GrantFiled: September 17, 2020Date of Patent: July 20, 2021Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: John Bernard McGurk, Reyad Mehfuz, Christopher Neil Harvey, Aidan Dominic Goggin
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Patent number: 10734019Abstract: An apparatus includes an input coupler configured to receive light excited by a light source. A near-field transducer (NFT) is positioned at a media-facing surface of a write head. A layered waveguide is positioned between the input coupler and the NFT and configured to receive the light output from the input coupler in a transverse electric (TE) mode and deliver the light to the NFT in a transverse magnetic (TM) mode. The layered waveguide comprises a first layer extending along a light-propagation direction. The first layer is configured to receive light from the input coupler. The first layer tapers from a first cross track width to a second cross track width where the second cross track width is narrower than the first cross track width. The layered waveguide includes a second layer that is disposed on the first layer. The second layer has a cross sectional area in a plane perpendicular to the light propagation direction that increases along the light propagation direction.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2019Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Christopher Neil Harvey, Aidan Dominic Goggin, Kelly Elizabeth Callan, John Bernard McGurk, Reyad Mehfuz
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Patent number: 10614843Abstract: A recording head has a waveguide core with an input end proximate an energy source at an input surface of the recording head. The waveguide core couples light from the energy source to a near-field transducer that heats a recording medium in response to the light. An input coupler extends along the waveguide core from the input end to a termination region that is away from the input end in a light propagation direction. The input coupler has a first refractive index between that of the waveguide core and a surrounding material. The input coupler is wider than the waveguide core and has a slanted edge at the termination region. The slanted edge crosses the waveguide core such that the input coupler narrows to a neck away from the waveguide core in a crosstrack direction.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2019Date of Patent: April 7, 2020Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Christopher Neil Harvey, Kelly Elizabeth Callan, Aidan Dominic Goggin, John Bernard McGurk, Reyad Mehfuz, Christopher Gerwyn Ward
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Publication number: 20200027478Abstract: A recording head has a waveguide core with an input end proximate an energy source at an input surface of the recording head. The waveguide core couples light from the energy source to a near-field transducer that heats a recording medium in response to the light. An input coupler extends along the waveguide core from the input end to a termination region that is away from the input end in a light propagation direction. The input coupler has a first refractive index between that of the waveguide core and a surrounding material. The input coupler is wider than the waveguide core and has a slanted edge at the termination region. The slanted edge crosses the waveguide core such that the input coupler narrows to a neck away from the waveguide core in a crosstrack direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2019Publication date: January 23, 2020Inventors: Christopher Neil Harvey, Kelly Elizabeth Callan, Aidan Dominic Goggin, John Bernard McGurk, Reyad Mehfuz, Christopher Gerwyn Ward
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Patent number: 10431253Abstract: An input waveguide is disposed on a substrate-parallel plane and configured to receive light from an input surface. A mode converter joins the input waveguide at a junction away from the input surface. The mode converter converts the light from a fundamental mode to a higher-order mode. An input coupler is proximate to and overlapping the input waveguide parallel to the substrate-parallel plane. The input coupler extending from the input surface to the mode converter and has an asymmetric taper that transitions from a wider crosstrack dimension near the input surface to a narrower crosstrack dimension away from the input surface.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2017Date of Patent: October 1, 2019Assignee: Seagate Technology, LLCInventors: John Bernard McGurk, Kelly Elizabeth Hamilton, Aidan Dominic Goggin, Mark Anthony Gubbins
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Patent number: 10388310Abstract: An apparatus includes an input coupler configured to receive light excited by a light source. A near-field transducer (NFT) is positioned at a media-facing surface of a write head. A layered waveguide is positioned between the input coupler and the NFT and configured to receive the light output from the input coupler in a transverse electric (TE) mode and deliver the light to the NFT in a transverse magnetic (TM) mode. The layered waveguide comprises a first layer extending along a light-propagation direction. The first layer is configured to receive light from the input coupler. The first layer tapers from a first cross track width to a second cross track width where the second cross track width is narrower than the first cross track width. The layered waveguide includes a second layer that is disposed on the first layer. The second layer has a cross sectional area in a plane perpendicular to the light propagation direction that increases along the light propagation direction.Type: GrantFiled: September 19, 2018Date of Patent: August 20, 2019Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Christopher Neil Harvey, Aidan Dominic Goggin, Kelly Elizabeth Callan, John Bernard McGurk, Reyad Mehfuz
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Patent number: 10269379Abstract: A recording head has a waveguide core with an input facet at an input surface. The waveguide core extends to a near-field transducer at a media-facing surface of the recording head. First and second cladding regions are co-planar with and on either cross-track side of the waveguide core. First and second pseudo-slab regions are co-planar with and on outer cross-track sides of the respective first and second cladding regions. The first and second pseudo-slab regions have an index of refraction higher than that of the first and second cladding regions. The first and second pseudo-slab regions confine and channel stray light away from the near-field transducer.Type: GrantFiled: January 18, 2018Date of Patent: April 23, 2019Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Aidan Dominic Goggin, Reyad Mehfuz, Kelly Elizabeth Callan, John Bernard McGurk
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Patent number: 10170140Abstract: A write head comprises a waveguide core configured to receive light emitted in a crosstrack direction from a light source at a fundamental transverse electric (TE00) mode. The waveguide core comprises a first turn that receives the light in the crosstrack direction redirects the light to an opposite crosstrack direction and a second turn that redirects the light to a direction normal to a media-facing surface of the write head. The waveguide core comprises a straight section that couples the first and second turns and a branched portion extending from the straight section. The branched portion is configured to convert the light to a higher-order (TE10) mode. A near-field transducer at the media-facing surface is configured to receive the light at the TE10 mode from the waveguide and directs surface plasmons to a recording medium in response thereto.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2017Date of Patent: January 1, 2019Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Reyad Mehfuz, Aidan Dominic Goggin, Kelly Elizabeth Hamilton, John Bernard McGurk
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Publication number: 20180211685Abstract: A write head comprises a waveguide core configured to receive light emitted in a crosstrack direction from a light source at a fundamental transverse electric (TE00) mode. The waveguide core comprises a first turn that receives the light in the crosstrack direction redirects the light to an opposite crosstrack direction and a second turn that redirects the light to a direction normal to a media-facing surface of the write head. The waveguide core comprises a straight section that couples the first and second turns and a branched portion extending from the straight section. The branched portion is configured to convert the light to a higher-order (TE10) mode. A near-field transducer at the media-facing surface is configured to receive the light at the TE10 mode from the waveguide and directs surface plasmons to a recording medium in response thereto.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 23, 2017Publication date: July 26, 2018Inventors: Reyad Mehfuz, Aidan Dominic Goggin, Kelly Elizabeth Hamilton, John Bernard McGurk
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Patent number: 10014016Abstract: A recording head has a primary waveguide core with an input end at an input surface of the recording head and extends to a near-field transducer at a media-facing surface of the recording head. A secondary waveguide core is separated from the primary waveguide core by a gap such that light is evanescently coupled from the primary waveguide core to the secondary waveguide core. The secondary waveguide core has first and second bends such that an output end of the secondary waveguide core is parallel to and separated from the primary waveguide core in a cross-track direction. A polarization rotator rotates a polarization of light in the secondary waveguide core such that polarization-rotated light exits the secondary waveguide core at the media-facing surface.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2017Date of Patent: July 3, 2018Assignee: Seagate Technology LLCInventors: Reyad Mehfuz, Aidan Dominic Goggin, Kelly Elizabeth Hamilton, John Bernard McGurk, Choon How Gan
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Patent number: 9875761Abstract: A gradient-index lens couples light from a laser active region to a waveguide core. The gradient-index lens includes a plurality of bilayers, each of the bilayers having first and second material of respective first and second refractive indices. The bilayers conform to a planar base of the gradient-index lens and further conform to input and output sidewalls of the gradient-index lens. The input sidewall faces the laser active region and the output sidewall faces away from the laser active region. The input and output sidewalls are tilted at respective acute angles relative to the planar base.Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2017Date of Patent: January 23, 2018Assignee: SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLCInventors: Reyad Mehfuz, Aidan Dominic Goggin, Kelly Elizabeth Hamilton, John Bernard McGurk