Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for measuring thermally induced electric resistance changes in thermally assisted magnetic recording are disclosed for monitoring laser light output in thermally assisted magnetic recording disk drives. An electrical lead is coupled to a read/write head element. A first electrical resistance in the read/write head element is measured. The read/write head is heated by a laser and a second electrical resistance in the read/write head element is measured. The electrical resistance may be monitored at regular intervals when the read/write head element is on the ramp or the electrical resistance measurements may be continuously monitored as the read/write head flies over the magnetic media.

Abstract: The media heating device of the magnetic head includes an optical resonant cavity and a nano-pin that produces a high intensity near-field optical beam of sub-wavelength dimension adjacent to the write pole. The cavity is fabricated as a planar thin film structure in layers that are generally parallel to the magnetic pole thin film layers of the magnetic head, such that a principal axis of the resonant cavity is parallel to the air bearing surface (ABS). Optical energy is coupled into the resonant cavity through a waveguide that is placed proximate the cavity, and optical energy is coupled out of the cavity through a nano-pin that is disposed between the resonant cavity and the ABS.

Abstract: A method for neutralizing the flying height sensitivity associated with thermal pole-tip protrusion (T-PTP) of an air bearing slider comprises creating head material data and air bearing surface (ABS) compensation data, based on which a head/ABS design is created. The head material data comprises at least one material property that is dependent on the manner in which the material is fabricated, such as the coefficient of thermal expansion of a material deposited using a certain deposition process. The ABS compensation data comprises data about how respective ABS features affect air bearing pressure and, therefore, ABS compensation. A protrusion profile is determined for the head/ABS design, and whether or not this protrusion profile meets particular design criteria is then determined. The head/ABS creating and determining process can be iterated if necessary to arrive at a head/ABS design which provides neutral flying height sensitivity to a range of operational temperatures.

Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for measuring thermally induced electric resistance changes in thermally assisted magnetic recording are disclosed for monitoring laser light output in thermally assisted magnetic recording disk drives. An electrical lead is coupled to a read/write head element. A first electrical resistance in the read/write head element is measured. The read/write head is heated by a laser and a second electrical resistance in the read/write head element is measured. The electrical resistance may be monitored at regular intervals when the read/write head element is on the ramp or the electrical resistance measurements may be continuously monitored as the read/write head flies over the magnetic media.

Abstract: The media heating device of the magnetic head includes an optical resonant cavity and a nano-pin that produces a high intensity near-field optical beam of sub-wavelength dimension adjacent to the write pole. The cavity is fabricated as a planar thin film structure in layers that are generally parallel to the magnetic pole thin film layers of the magnetic head, such that a principal axis of the resonant cavity is parallel to the air bearing surface (ABS). Optical energy is coupled into the resonant cavity through a waveguide that is placed proximate the cavity, and optical energy is coupled out of the cavity through a nano-pin that is disposed between the resonant cavity and the ABS.

Abstract: A system and method for dynamically controlling the position of a hard drive head is disclosed. The system includes a hard drive slider comprising a first substrate, a second substrate coupled to the first substrate wherein the second substrate comprises a plurality of flexures wherein at least one of the flexures is responsive to an applied current, the flexure expanding in response to the current; and a third substrate coupled to the second substrate comprising vias to provide said current to the flexure. Embodiments of the invention can be used in contact and non contact recording situations and for absorbing mechanical vibrations.

Abstract: A hermetic sealing approach involves welding an Aluminum cover onto a low-cost Aluminum housing. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a metal housing having a base and sidewalls extending upward therefrom is adapted to receive and couple to an HDD arrangement. The metal housing is formed using material and processing (e.g., cold formed or die cast Aluminum) that are relatively inexpensive. A feedthrough arrangement including a plurality of communication pins extends through an opening in the base and is coupled thereto, with the communication pins adapted to pass signals between the inside and the outside of the metal housing. A metal cover is welded to an upper portion of the sidewalls and, with the feedthrough arrangement, hermetically seals the metal housing.

Abstract: An optical disk player reads either thin-substrate disks or thick-substrate disks. The disk players optical system is designed for reading the thin-substrate optical disks and has an effective numerical aperture. Thick-substrate optical disks having a thicker substrate than the thin-substrate optical disk result in the laser beam reading such thick-substrate optical disks having spherical aberration sufficient to prevent reliable data detection. When thick-substrate optical disks are being read, the read portion of the optical system is automatically changed to accommodate the undesired spherical aberration. The thick-substrate disk reflected laser beam is subjected to annular filtering that reduces spherical aberration sufficiently for enabling data and servo signal detection. Annular filtering is provided in an optical read path by an effective opaque or translucent disk centrally located in a pupil of the laser beam optical filter disposed in the read portion.

Abstract: An optical data storage system comprises a multiple data surface medium and optical head, The medium comprises a plurality of substrates separated by a light transmissive medium. Data surfaces are located on the substrate surfaces which lie adjacent a light transmissive medium. The data surfaces are substantially light transmissive. The optical head includes an aberration compensator to allow the head to focus onto the different data surfaces and a filter to screen out unwanted reflected light.

Abstract: An optical data storage system comprises a multiple data surface medium and optical head. The medium comprises a plurality of substrates separated by a light transmissive medium. Data surfaces are located on the substrate surfaces which lie adjacent a light transmissive medium. The data surfaces are substantially light transmissive. The optical head includes an aberration compensator to allow the head to focus onto the different data surfaces and a filter to screen out unwanted reflected light.

Abstract: An optical data storage system comprises a multiple data surface medium and optical head. The medium comprises a plurality of substrates separated by a light transmissive medium. Data surfaces are located on the substrate surfaces which lie adjacent a light transmissive medium. The data surfaces are substantially light transmissive. The optical head includes an aberration compensator to allow the head to focus onto the different data surfaces and a filter to screen out unwanted reflected light.

Abstract: An optical data storage system comprises a multiple data surface medium and optical head. The medium comprises a plurality of substrates separated by a light transmissive medium. Data surfaces are located on the substrate surfaces which lie adjacent a light transmissive medium. The data surfaces are substantially light transmissive. The optical head includes an aberration compensator to allow the head to focus onto the different data surfaces and a filter to screen out unwanted reflected light.

Abstract: An optical data storage system comprises a multiple data surface medium and an optical head. The medium comprises a plurality of substrates, each supporting a data surface that contains optical media for the recording of data. The data surfaces are spaced apart so that each data surface can be accessed by focused laser light from the optical head. The type of optical media on each of the data surfaces may be ROM, write-once read-many (WORM), magneto-optic or phase change. At least one of the data surfaces includes recorded information located in a track header that identifies the type of optical media contained in the data surfaces.

Abstract: An optical data storage system comprises a multiple data surface medium and optical head. The medium comprises a plurality of substrates separated by a light transmissive medium. Data surfaces are located on the substrate surfaces which lie adjacent a light transmissive medium. The data surfaces are substantially light transmissive. The optical head includes an aberration compensator to allow the head to focus onto the different data surfaces and a filter to screen out unwanted reflected light.

Abstract: An optical data storage system comprises a multiple data surface medium and optical head. The medium comprises a plurality of substrates separated by a light transmissive medium. Data surfaces are located on the substrate surfaces which lie adjacent a light transmissive medium. The data surfaces are substantially light transmissive. The optical head includes an aberration compensator to allow the head to focus onto the different data surfaces and a filter to screen out unwanted reflected light.

Abstract: An optical data storage system comprises a multiple data surface medium and optical head. The medium comprises a plurality of substrates separated by a light transmissive medium. Data surfaces are located on the substrate surfaces. A layer of a dye material is deposited onto each of the data surfaces. The thickness of the dye layer determines the amount of reflectivity for each of the data surfaces.

Abstract: An optical data storage system comprises a multiple data surface medium and optical head. The medium comprises a plurality of substrates separated by a light transmissive medium. Data surfaces are located on the substrate surfaces which lie adjacent a light transmissive medium. The data surfaces are substantially light transmissive. The optical head includes an aberration compensator to allow the head to focus onto the different data surfaces and a filter to screen out unwanted reflected light.

Abstract: A magnetooptical disk has two axially space-apart translucent recording layers. Each translucent recording layer is axially closer to an outer surface of the disk than to the other recording layer. This geometry enables closely axially disposing a magnetic field biasing means to each of the recording layers from opposite axial sides of the disk, respectively. Laser beams are axially introduced into the disk to pass through one of the translucent recording layers in a defocussed state to reach a second recording layer in a focussed state. In this manner, recording in the second layer is effected by a modulated magnetic bias field using a constant intensity laser beam. Two sets of laser beams and magnetic biasing means are provided for recording on both data in both of the recording layers.

Abstract: An optical data storage system comprises a multiple data surface medium and optical head. The medium comprises a plurality of substrates separated by a light transmissive medium. Data surfaces are located on the substrate surfaces which lie adjacent a light transmissive medium. The data surfaces are substantially light transmissive. The optical head includes an aberration compensator to allow the head to focus onto the different data surfaces and a filter to screen out unwanted reflected light.

Abstract: A magnetooptical disk has two axially space-apart translucent recording layers. Each translucent recording layer is axially closer to an outer surface of the disk than to the other recording layer. This geometry enables closely axially disposing a magnetic field biasing means to each of the recording layers from opposite axial sides of the disk, respectively. Laser beams are axially introduced into the disk to pass through one of the translucent recording layers in a defocussed state to reach a second recording layer in a focussed state. In this manner, recording in the second layer is effected by a modulated magnetic bias field using a constant intensity laser beam. Two sets of laser beams and magnetic biasing means are provided for recording on both data in both of the recording layers.