Abstract: An air-incident optical recording medium for use with flying heads has a system of layers, which thermally isolate the disk surface from the active, recording layer.

Abstract: In one aspect, an optical recording system including an optical recording medium; a light source; a focusing lens that focuses light generated by the light source to form a focused beam of light directed toward the recording medium; and a coupling medium disposed between the lens and at least one portion of the optical recording medium, the coupling medium being transparent and having a refractive index greater than one. The coupling medium facilitates optical coupling between the lens and the recording medium. In another aspect, the coupling medium is disposed so that no air gap exists in the optical path between the lens and the recording medium. In another aspect, the exit surface of the lens is disposed at a distance from the recording medium that exceeds a distance that an evanescent wave of a high angle ray of the beam of light would travel after contacting air, but the system includes coupling means for coupling the ray of light from the lens to the recording medium.

Abstract: A planar solid immersion lens has flat surfaces on both the top and bottom. The planar structure is made to function as a solid immersion lens by including compensation for the refraction of light rays entering the top surface of the solid immersion lens other than normal to the top surface. Compensation can be provided by using a radial graded index lens material or by including on the top surface a surface relief diffraction grating. The planar solid immersion lens can be included in a slider or flying head used in an optical disk drive data recording system.

Abstract: In one aspect, an optical recording system including an optical recording medium; a light source; a focusing lens that focuses light generated by the light source to form a focused beam of light directed toward the recording medium; and a coupling medium disposed between the lens and at least one portion of the optical recording medium, the coupling medium being transparent and having a refractive index greater than one. The coupling medium facilitates optical coupling between the lens and the recording medium. In another aspect, the coupling medium is disposed so that no air gap exists in the optical path between the lens and the recording medium. In another aspect, the exit surface of the lens is disposed at a distance from the recording medium that exceeds a distance that an evanescent wave of a high angle ray of the beam of light would travel after contacting air, but the system includes coupling means for coupling the ray of light from the lens to the recording medium.