Abstract: A heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) assembly includes a slider, a laser diode and solder connections between the laser diode and the slider. The solder connections mechanically and electrically attach the laser diode to the slider. Each solder connection has a total volume per unit area (i.e., height) of less than or equal to about 15 ?m. The solder connections have a first intermetallic zone adjacent to the laser diode, a second intermetallic zone adjacent to the slider, and a eutectic zone of eutectic material between the first and second intermetallic zones. The eutectic zone occupies greater than or equal to about 35% of the total volume per unit area of the solder connection.

Abstract: A heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) assembly includes a slider, a laser diode and solder connections between the laser diode and the slider. The solder connections mechanically and electrically attach the laser diode to the slider. Each solder connection has a total volume per unit area (i.e., height) of less than or equal to about 15 ?m. The solder connections have a first intermetallic zone adjacent to the laser diode, a second intermetallic zone adjacent to the slider, and a eutectic zone of eutectic material between the first and second intermetallic zones. The eutectic zone occupies greater than or equal to about 35% of the total volume per unit area of the solder connection.

Abstract: A heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) assembly includes a slider, a laser diode and solder connections between the laser diode and the slider. The solder connections mechanically and electrically attach the laser diode to the slider. Each solder connection has a total volume per unit area (i.e., height) of less than or equal to about 15 ?m. The solder connections have a first intermetallic zone adjacent to the laser diode, a second intermetallic zone adjacent to the slider, and a eutectic zone of eutectic material between the first and second intermetallic zones. The eutectic zone occupies greater than or equal to about 35% of the total volume per unit area of the solder connection.

Abstract: A light delivery system in a slider includes a channel waveguide, a mode-index refractive surface, a solid immersion mirror, and a near field transducer. The mode-index refractive surface shapes the angular spectrum of the light on its path to the solid immersion mirror in a manner so as to change the distribution of light energy focused on to the near field transducer.

Abstract: A light delivery system in a slider includes a channel waveguide, a mode-index refractive surface, a solid immersion mirror, and a near field transducer. The mode-index refractive surface shapes the angular spectrum of the light on its path to the solid immersion mirror in a manner so as to change the distribution of light energy focused on to the near field transducer.

Abstract: A heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) assembly includes a slider, a laser diode and solder connections between the laser diode and the slider. The solder connections mechanically and electrically attach the laser diode to the slider. Each solder connection has a total volume per unit area (i.e., height) of less than or equal to about 15 ?m. The solder connections have a first intermetallic zone adjacent to the laser diode, a second intermetallic zone adjacent to the slider, and a eutectic zone of eutectic material between the first and second intermetallic zones. The eutectic zone occupies greater than or equal to about 35% of the total volume per unit area of the solder connection.

Abstract: A small form factor optical disk drive is provided that incorporates a SIL/objective lens assembly. A laser for the small form factor optical disk drive has a coherence function having maxima spaced apart by intervals. The optical disk drive is configured such that a roundtrip optical path through the SIL/objective lens assembly is such that a coherence value for the laser is located in one of the intervals.

Abstract: A small form factor optical disk drive is provided that incorporates a hybrid solid immersion objective lens (SIOL). The SIOL includes a central aspheric lens portion and a surrounding diffractive optical element portion.

Abstract: A small form factor optical disk drive is provided. An OPU is mounted on a sled such that an optical path length to the optical media falls substantially between coherence function maxima.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of attaching components of an optical head. In one embodiment, first and second optical assemblies of the optical head are positioned adjacent to each other. The first optical assembly may include a first optical element, and the second optical assembly may include a second optical element. Both of the first and second optical elements are configured to transmit light for reading or writing data to an optical data storage media. The position of a first optical assembly is adjusted with respect to the second optical assembly until the first optical element and second optical elements are in optical communication with each other. Thereafter, the first and second optical assemblies are rigidly connected while the first and second optical elements are in optical communication with each other.

Abstract: An optical pickup assembly includes an optical pickup unit (OPU), a thermally conductive plate, and a flex circuit. The flex circuit is mounted atop the plate. The OPU is also mounted atop the plate through a cutout of the flex circuit. Alternatively, the flex circuit is mounted below the plate and the OPU is mounted atop the plate. The optical pickup assembly further includes an actuator arm. The OPU is mounted on the actuator arm with a portion of the plate contacting the actuator arm.

Abstract: An electro-optical storage system based on air-bearing-suspended optical head in a near-field configuration. The optical head effects a lens having front and rear focal planes. The head is spaced from an optical medium by a fraction of a wavelength. An imaging lens is positioned relative to the optical head so that the image of a beam steering element is at a focal plane of the optical head close to the imaging lens to form a telecentric system to minimize beam walk. More preferably, the imaging lens is positioned to deviate the image plane of the beam steering element away from the focal plane of the optical head by a desired spacing to form a pseudo telecentric system to minimize energy asymmetry in the reflected beam.

Abstract: A beam shaper lens or other optic is positioned with respect to a laser diode or other laser emitter in such a way as to eliminate an air gap, or other low-index region, between the emitter and the beam shaper optic. In one embodiment, a planar emitter is in direct face-to-face contact with a planar surface of a beam shaper lens. The beam, as it exits the laser source, directly enters the lens or another relatively high-index medium, compared to the index of air. By reducing the number of interfaces which the beam passes through and/or the difference in index across such interfaces, beam shaping can be achieved while reducing or eliminating interfacial reflections, refractions, or diffractions.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of attaching components of an optical head. In one embodiment, first and second optical assemblies of the optical head are positioned adjacent to each other. The first optical assembly may include a first optical element, and the second optical assembly may include a second optical element. Both of the first and second optical elements are configured to transmit light for reading or writing data to an optical data storage media. The position of a first optical assembly is adjusted with respect to the second optical assembly until the first optical element and second optical elements are in optical communication with each other. Thereafter, the first and second optical assemblies are rigidly connected while the first and second optical elements are in optical communication with each other.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for attaching components of an optical head. In one embodiment, a substrate and a light source assembly are positioned adjacent to each other. The light source assembly is configured to generate light for reading or writing data to an optical data storage media. The light source assembly includes a first and second alignment marks, and the substrate includes first and second alignment marks. The position of the light source assembly is adjusted with respect to the substrate until a line extending between the first and second alignment marks of the light source assembly is substantially parallel to a line extending between the first and second alignment marks of the substrate. Thereafter, a rigid connection is created between the light source assembly and the substrate.

Abstract: An optical disk drive having a thermal control mechanism on the optical head to control the spacing between the optical head and the surface of the storage medium.

Abstract: A device for retrieving data from or writing data to a storage medium that includes a heating element to reduce signal distortion in a data storage system. The device includes a head having an interfacing surface that faces a medium surface of the storage medium and interacts with the storage medium. The heating element is disposed on or near the interfacing surface to supply thermal energy to the interfacing surface maintain said interfacing surface at a temperature higher than a temperature of the medium surface.

Abstract: An optical assembly for detecting a light beam returning from an optical storage media and generating a signal representative of the information stored on the storage media wherein the optical assembly includes a first photodetector that is positioned in the path of the returning light beam at a predetermined angle, so that p polarized light contained in the light beam will be absorbed by the first photodetector and s polarized light will be reflected and redirected toward a second photodetector, which is positioned in the path of the redirected s polarized light and perpendicular to the path of the s polarized light, such that substantially all of the s polarized light is absorbed by the second photodetector and the photocurrents produced by the two photodetectors are differenced to produce a signal representative of the information stored on the storage disk.

Abstract: A magnetooptic head is fabricated on a glass slider and flown adjacent a magnetooptic disk in a disk drive. The transducer is fabricated on an end of the glass slider. A planar or channel waveguide structure, fabricated by ion exchange in the end face of the glass slider, couples light from a light source, such as a laser diode, to the disk for reading or writing. The head employs near-field optical techniques at the operating flying height, eliminating the need for a focusing servo. Near field operation also allows increased bit and track densities due to reduced spot size and direct overwrite using Magnetic Field Modulation on current generations (simple) magnetooptic thin films.

Abstract: When doing multitrack seek or a single track jump, the midpoint between the maximum and the minimum of a tracking error signal is determined. A peak detector detects the positive peak and the negative peak. These maximum and minimum values are stored in a sample and hold circuit. A summing circuit determines the midpoint between the maximum and the minimum of the tracking error signal. An operational amplifier provides a true error signal to the servo control system that provides the appropriate servo operating point. The invention is based on the fact that even though there is no absolute reference signal indicating the appropriate on-track position, the tracking servo system obtains the track error over the whole range of positions relative to track center when doing a multitrack seek or a single track jump. The appropriate servo operating point is the midpoint between the maximum and the minimum of the track error signal.