Abstract: A temperature compensation equation is generated during manufacture of a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) disk drive using initial total currents supplied to a laser diode of the disk drive at different initial operating temperatures. The total currents represent currents for recording data to or erasing data from the medium. The temperature compensation equation is stored in the disk drive, and updated, during field operation, using a subsequent total current associated with an operating temperature differing from the initial operating temperatures. The total current supplied to the laser diode for a subsequent write operation is adjusted using the updated temperature compensation equation in response to the operating temperature at the time of the subsequent write operation.

Abstract: A temperature compensation equation is generated during manufacture of a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) disk drive using initial total currents supplied to a laser diode of the disk drive at different initial operating temperatures. The total currents represent currents for recording data to or erasing data from the medium. The temperature compensation equation is stored in the disk drive, and updated, during field operation, using a subsequent total current associated with an operating temperature differing from the initial operating temperatures. The total current supplied to the laser diode for a subsequent write operation is adjusted using the updated temperature compensation equation in response to the operating temperature at the time of the subsequent write operation.

Abstract: A temperature compensation equation is generated during manufacture of a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) disk drive using initial total currents supplied to a laser diode of the disk drive at different initial operating temperatures. The total currents represent currents for recording data to or erasing data from the medium. The temperature compensation equation is stored in the disk drive, and updated, during field operation, using a subsequent total current associated with an operating temperature differing from the initial operating temperatures. The total current supplied to the laser diode for a subsequent write operation is adjusted using the updated temperature compensation equation in response to the operating temperature at the time of the subsequent write operation.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a slider configured for heat-assisted magnetic coupled to a controller. The slider comprises a writer, a heater, a near-field transducer, and an optical waveguide for communicating light from a laser diode to the near-field transducer. The controller is configured to set a target pre-write clearance of the slider prior to performing a write operation, set a target write clearance of the slider for performing the write operation, and determine a difference between the target pre-write and write clearances to define a target pre-write clearance offset. The controller is also configured to measure, for a plurality of different target pre-write clearance offsets, a writability metric for the slider while sweeping a laser diode current, and adjust the target pre-write clearance offset so that the writability metric reaches a predetermined threshold. The controller is further configured to perform subsequent write operations using the adjusted target pre-write clearance offset.