Abstract: An apparatus comprises a slider having an air bearing surface (ABS) and a near-field transducer (NFT) at or near the ABS. An optical waveguide is configured to couple light from a laser source to the NFT. A resistive sensor comprises an ABS section situated at or proximate the ABS and a distal section extending away from the ABS to a location at least lateral of or behind the NFT. The resistive sensor is configured to detect changes in output optical power of the laser source and contact between the slider and a magnetic recording medium.

Abstract: Methods of forming a NFT the methods including forming a hard mask positioned over at least a portion of the rod, the hard mask including at least one layer; patterning a resist mask over the hard mask, the resist mask having an edge positioned over at least a portion of the rod; etching a portion of the hard mask to expose a back edge of the rod and to form a back edge of the hard mask, wherein the back edge of the rod is equivalent to the back edge of the peg; and wherein a forward portion of the rod which is the portion of the rod forward of the back edge is covered by the hard mask; forming a disc mask including a void configured to form a disc of a NFT, the disc mask being formed over at least a portion of the hard mask so that the exposed back edge of the rod is within the void configured to form the disc; etching an area exposed in the void of the disc mask to remove both a rear portion of the rod and the surrounding dielectric up to the back edge of the hard mask edge; depositing a disc material in th

Abstract: A magnetic disk device includes a magnetic disk, a head slider and a control circuit. The head slider includes a read element, a write element, a first heater and a second heater. The first heater is arranged nearer to the read element than the write element. The second heater is arranged nearer to the write element than to the read element. The control circuit controls a ratio of powers to be supplied to the first heater and the second heater to adjust a first spacing between the read element and the magnetic disk and a second spacing between the write element and the magnetic disk.

Abstract: A device and a method of forming a device are presented. A substrate is provided. The substrate includes circuit component formed on a substrate surface. Back end of line processing is performed to form an upper inter level dielectric (ILD) layer over the substrate. The upper ILD layer includes a plurality of ILD levels. A magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) stack is formed in between adjacent ILD levels of the upper ILD layer. The MTJ stack comprises a free layer, a tunneling barrier layer and a fixed layer. The fixed layer includes a polarizer layer, a composite texture breaking layer which includes a ruthenium layer and a synthetic antiferromagnetic (SAF) layer.

Abstract: Embodiments described herein involve a method comprising generating a seek command in a heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) device. A first current is supplied to a laser diode of the HAMR device in response to the seek command to preheat the laser diode. The first current is insufficient to cause erasure of data on media of the HAMR device. A second current that is greater than the first current is supplied to the laser diode for writing to a magnetic recording medium of the HAMR device after executing the seek command. Preheating the laser diode reduces a likelihood of a laser mode hop occurring while writing to the medium.

Abstract: A slider configured for heat-assisted magnetic recording has an upper surface, an opposing air bearing surface (ABS), and a body defined between the upper surface and the ABS. The slider comprises a write pole and a near-field transducer (NFT) at or near the ABS. An optical waveguide is configured to receive light from a laser source and comprises a first cladding layer, a second cladding layer, and a core between the first and second cladding layers. The core has a width, a length, and a longitudinal axis oriented along the length of the core. A bolometer is situated within the body of the slider at a location that receives at least some of the light communicated along the waveguide used during a writing operation. The bolometer is spaced apart from the core and comprises a longitudinal axis that is oriented substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the core.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for increasing storage capacity on magnetic media. A dual-layer magnetic recording apparatus receives, a write operation instruction, bit position and bit value where the bit position includes a media surface position and magnetic media layer identifier. The dual-layer magnetic recording apparatus accesses a dual-layer magnetic media where the dual-layer magnetic media includes a first magnetic media layer with a thermally controllable coercivity, a second magnetic media layer and a separation layer. The magnetic layer identifier is determined to associated with be the first magnetic media layer or the second magnetic media layer. When the magnetic layer identifier is the second magnetic media layer, the bit value is written based on magnetically charging the second magnetic media layer and when the magnetic layer identifier is the first magnetic media layer the bit value is written based on heating and magnetically charging the first magnetic media layer.

Abstract: An apparatus, according to one embodiment, comprises a near field transducer; an adhesion layer on a media facing side of the near field transducer, the adhesion layer comprising Ni and Cr; and a protective layer on a media facing side of the adhesion layer. Other apparatuses, systems and methods are described in additional embodiments.

Abstract: Provided herein is an apparatus including a head over-coat and a depleted region in the head over-coat. A media over-coat is deposited in the depleted region. A near field transducer is adjacent to the head over-coat, wherein the near field transducer combusts the deposited media over-coat.

Abstract: A slider of a heat-assisted recording head comprises electrical bond pads coupled to bias sources and a ground pad, an air bearing surface, and a waveguide configured to receive light from a laser source. A contact sensor proximate the air bearing surface is coupled between a first bond pad and a second bond pad. A bolometer is coupled to a reference thermal sensor. The bolometer is situated at a slider location that receives at least some of the light communicated along the waveguide. The reference thermal sensor is situated at a slider location unexposed to the light communicated along the waveguide. The bolometer and reference thermal sensor are coupled between the first and second bond pads and in parallel with the contact sensor. A ground connection is coupled to the ground pad and at a connection between the bolometer and the reference thermal sensor.

Abstract: A recording head includes a layer of plasmonic metal deposited on a surface of the recording head. One or more non-self-supporting layers of crystalline material are attached to the plasmonic metal, the one or more layers of crystalline materials configured to form an active region of a laser. A waveguide is configured to receive plasmons from the laser and direct the plasmons to a recording medium.

Abstract: A method of magnetization reversal, time stable ferrimagnetic material, a product and a domain comprising said material, a system for magnetization reversal, and information storage. Therein, a ferrimagnetic material is one in which magnetic moments of the atoms on different sublattices are opposed, as in antiferromagnetism; however, in ferrimagnetic materials, the opposing moments are unequal and a spontaneous magnetization remains.

Abstract: A head includes a head body having a medium facing surface, and a protective film covering the medium facing surface. The head body includes a main pole, a waveguide, a plasmon generator, and a main light-blocking section. The waveguide has an entrance end face and an exit end face. The plasmon generator has a near-field light generating surface. The medium facing surface includes a first region including neither of the exit end face and the near-field light generating surface, and a second region including the exit end face and the near-field light generating surface. The protective film includes a first portion covering the first region, and a second portion covering the second region. The main light-blocking section is located to intersect an imaginary straight line connecting the entrance end face and the first region.

Abstract: Devices having air bearing surfaces (ABS), the devices include a near field transducer (NFT) that includes a disc configured to convert photons incident thereon into plasmons; and a peg configured to couple plasmons coupled from the disc into an adjacent magnetic storage medium, wherein the disc includes a disc material and the peg includes a peg material, wherein the disc material is different from the peg material and wherein the disc material has a first real part of the permittivity and a peg material has a second real part of the permittivity and the second real part of the permittivity is not greater than the first real part of the permittivity.

Abstract: Scanning mechanisms that have application in confocal imaging use electromagnetic actuation to move elements in an optical system. An objective lens mounted to a flexure comprising a magnetic material is actuated in the axial direction by an electromagnet coil. An optical path may pass through the coil. Scanning in transverse directions may be provided using magnetically actuated flexible beams which move the tip of an optical fiber or other pinhole in one or more transverse directions. Actuators may be actuated using driving currents that include an AC component and a DC bias component. The scanning mechanisms may be miniaturized and may be constructed to provide real-time imaging.

Abstract: Devices having air bearing surfaces (ABS), the devices including a near field transducer (NFT) that includes a disc configured to convert photons incident thereon into plasmons; and a peg configured to couple plasmons coupled from the disc into an adjacent magnetic storage medium, wherein at least one of a portion of the peg, a portion of the disc, or a portion of both the peg and the disc include a multilayer structure including at least two layers including at least one layer of a first material and at least one layer of a second material, wherein the first material and the second material are not the same and wherein the first and the second materials independently include aluminum (Al), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), boron (B), barium (Ba), calcium (Ca), cerium (Ce), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), erbium (Er), gadolinium (Gd), gallium (Ga), germanium (Ge), gold (Au), hafnium (Hf), indium (In), iridium (Ir), iron (Fe), lanthanum (La), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), ni

Abstract: A recording head includes a near-field transducer located an oblique angle to a media-facing surface. The near-field transducer includes an enlarged portion and a peg extending from the enlarged portion towards the media-facing surface at a normal angle. An input waveguide of the recording head receives energy from an energy source, and an output waveguide delivers the energy to near-field transducer at the oblique angle. The output waveguide is oriented at the oblique angle. A bent waveguide with a polynomial spiral shape joins the input waveguide and the output waveguide.

Abstract: Methods of forming a NFT the methods including forming a hard mask positioned over at least a portion of the rod, the hard mask including at least one layer; patterning a resist mask over the hard mask, the resist mask having an edge positioned over at least a portion of the rod; etching a portion of the hard mask to expose a back edge of the rod and to form a back edge of the hard mask, wherein the back edge of the rod is equivalent to the back edge of the peg; and wherein a forward portion of the rod which is the portion of the rod forward of the back edge is covered by the hard mask; forming a disc mask including a void configured to form a disc of a NFT, the disc mask being formed over at least a portion of the hard mask so that the exposed back edge of the rod is within the void configured to form the disc; etching an area exposed in the void of the disc mask to remove both a rear portion of the rod and the surrounding dielectric up to the back edge of the hard mask edge; depositing a disc material in th

Abstract: A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) disk drive has a disk with at least two independent data layers (RL1 and RL2), each data layer storing an independent data stream. At a high laser power both RL1 and RL2 are heated to above their respective Curie temperatures and a first data stream is recorded in both RL1 and RL2. At a lower laser power only upper RL2 is heated to above its Curie temperature and a second data stream is recorded only in RL2. The data layers are separated by a nonmagnetic spacer layer (SL) that prevents lower RL1 from being heated to above its Curie temperature at low laser power. The first and second data streams are typically asynchronous. Recorded data is read back from both data streams simultaneously as a composite readback signal. A joint Viterbi detector detects the asynchronous data streams simultaneously from the composite readback signal.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a slider body of a disk drive. The slider body is electrically coupled to a plurality of end bond pads. A voltage applied to one more of the end bond pads sets a surface potential of the slider body.

Abstract: When a simple magnification optical system is used in reproduction of a recording medium in which a large number of minute modified regions are three-dimensionally formed inside solid matter, contrast is insufficient and interlayer crosstalk is increased, and therefore, it is impossible to take a sufficient S/N ratio. Provided is a recording medium in which at least one layer is configured by a set of two adjacent sub-layers, and dots on a sub-layer correspond to a recording data ‘1’ and dots on the other sub-layer correspond to ‘0’. These data are played back.

Abstract: A mechanism is provided for fabricating a thermally assisted magnetoresistive random access memory device. A bottom thermal barrier is formed on a bottom contact. A magnetic tunnel junction is formed on the bottom thermal barrier. The magnetic tunnel junction includes a top ferromagnetic layer formed on a tunnel barrier. The tunnel barrier is formed on a bottom ferromagnetic layer. A top thermal barrier is formed on the top ferromagnetic layer. A top contact is formed on the top thermal barrier. The top contact is reduced to a first diameter. The tunnel barrier and the bottom ferromagnetic layer each have a second diameter. The first diameter of the top contact is smaller than the second diameter.

Abstract: A relatively larger nominal track spacing associated with a first write head is determined and a relatively smaller nominal track spacing associated with a second write head is determined. The first and second write heads simultaneously write to respective different first and second surfaces of a heat-assisted recording medium. A laser write power for a selected one of the first write head and the second write head is changed to enable the first write head and the second write head to operate at an equivalent nominal track spacing.

Abstract: Acoustically assisted magnetic recording can be used in a hard disk drive or a solid state medium. In the described embodiments, otherwise unwriteable high-coercivity media are made amenable to recording by lowering their coercivity via strain induced by acoustic waves. The use of acoustic waves temporarily and locally reduces the magnetic field required to record information on a magnetic recording medium. The process makes use of the magnetostrictive property of a magnetic material by which the magnetic anisotropy of the material is changed by strain. The result of such a change is a reduction in the coercive field, i.e., the magnetic field required to reverse the magnetization direction. Because acoustic waves cause strain, the passage of an acoustic wave through a magnetic material can be used to reduce its coercive field.

Abstract: A crystal film with one or more nitrogen vacancy centers is placed in close proximity to a recording head. A magnetic field or heat produced by the recording head as well as excitation illumination and an excitation field is applied to the crystal film. The magnetic field produced by the recording head, the heat produced by a thermal device on the recording head, and/or the excitation field may be varied. A confocal microscope or wide-field microscope optically detects a decrease in a spin dependent photoluminescence in response to the magnetic field or heat, excitation field and excitation illumination caused by electron spin resonance (ESR) of the at least one nitrogen vacancy center to measure Optically Detected Spin Resonance (ODMR). A characteristic of the recording head is determined using the ODMR.

Abstract: An air-bearing surface of a slider is coated with a photoresist having a high optical absorbance at or near an operational wavelength of the slider. Light is directed at a target wavelength through an entry of a waveguide integrated into the slider. The light exiting the waveguide forms a feature through the photoresist, the feature proximate a near-field transducer of the slider. A sub-micron pattern is formed using the feature.

Abstract: A light source is configured to produce light, a waveguide is optically coupled to the light source and configured to direct the light to an intended focus location, and a slider is configured to use the light as an energy source for heating a region of a magnetic recording medium. A thermal sensor is situated on the slider at a location outside of a light path that includes the intended focus location. The thermal sensor is configured for sensing a short time constant change in temperature resulting from light source heating of the thermal sensor, wherein the sensed change in thermal sensor temperature is representative of optical intensity of the light delivered to the intended focus location.

Abstract: A microwave assisted magnetic recording system includes a write pole that generates a write magnetic field, an element that generates a radio frequency assist magnetic field, and a recording medium that moves relative to the write pole. The recording medium is exposed to the radio frequency assist magnetic field before it is exposed to the write magnetic field. One possible element that generates the radio frequency assist magnetic field is an assist wire placed perpendicular to the write pole. Alternatively, the assist wire can be placed parallel to the write pole so that its radio frequency assist magnetic field couples with the write pole, which in turn generates its own coupled radio frequency magnetic field along with the write magnetic field.

Abstract: An apparatus with a slider body, a laser diode, and an isolator element. The slider body has an optical pathway extending therealong. The laser diode is configured to emit light along the optical pathway. The isolator element is disposed in the optical pathway to reduce optical feedback along the optical pathway back to the laser diode. In some embodiments, the isolator element is disposed in the optical pathway between the laser diode and the slider body.

Abstract: The embodiments disclosed generally relate to an STO structure for a magnetic head. The STO structure has an FGL having a greater thickness than the SPL. The SPL may have multiple layers. In one embodiment, a MAMR head comprises a main pole; a trailing shield; and an STO coupled between the main pole and the trailing shield. The STO includes: a first magnetic layer having a first thickness; a non-magnetic spacer layer coupled to the first magnetic layer; and a second magnetic layer having a second thickness and coupled to the non-magnetic spacer layer, wherein the first thickness is greater than the second thickness, wherein a current is charged from the first magnetic layer to the second magnetic layer, and wherein a vertical magnetic anisotropy field of the second magnetic film is less than 0 kOe.

Abstract: A testing method of a magnetic head includes: applying a first magnetic field with a constant intensity in a first direction that is the same with that of the longitudinal bias field to the magnetic head, simultaneously applying a second magnetic field with variant intensities in a second direction traversing the air bearing surface, and measuring a first noise; applying a third magnetic field with a constant intensity in a third direction that is opposite to the first direction to the magnetic head, simultaneously applying the second magnetic field with variant intensities in the second direction, and measuring a second noise; and analyzing noise change between the first noise and the second noise. The invention can screen out defective magnetic heads that possess poor noise characteristic and unstable performance.

Abstract: A method fabricates a heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) transducer having an air-bearing surface (ABS) and that is optically coupled with a laser. The method includes providing a waveguide for directing light from the laser toward the ABS and providing a write pole having a pole tip with an ABS location facing the surface. The pole tip is in a down track direction from the waveguide. The method also includes providing at least one shield including a shield pedestal. The shield pedestal is in the down track direction from the pole tip. At least one protective pad is provided adjacent to the write pole and between the ABS location and the shield pedestal.

Abstract: An apparatus including a waveguide input coupler, a tapered branch waveguide, and a waveguide adaptor physically connected to the waveguide input coupler proximal end and to the branch waveguide proximal end. The waveguide input coupler includes a distal end having a distal end width and a proximal end having a proximal end width. The tapered branch waveguide includes a distal end having a distal end width and a proximal end having a proximal end width, the branch waveguide distal end width being greater than the branch waveguide proximal end width. The waveguide input coupler, the branch waveguide, and the waveguide adapter are configured to convert input light having a base transverse waveguide mode to output light having a higher-order waveguide mode.

Abstract: An electrical lapping guide has a body with a thickness along a wafer axis, the body comprising a layer of conductive material having a resistivity. The conductive material layer comprises a first contact region and a second contact region, the first and second contact regions configured to electrically connect the electrical lapping guide to electrical leads. A lapping edge comprises an air-bearing plane axis perpendicular to a lapping axis, and a back edge opposite the lapping edge, the back edge comprising a plurality of notches.

Abstract: A plasmon generator includes a first portion and a second portion that are adjacent in a first direction orthogonal to the direction of travel of light propagating through a core. The second portion includes a front end face located in a medium facing surface of a magnetic head. The core has a concave portion recessed from the top surface of the core. At least part of the first portion is received in the concave portion. The concave portion has a surface including an evanescent light generating portion. The first portion includes a plasmon exciting portion opposed to the evanescent light generating portion. The evanescent light generating portion is inclined relative to a first surface.

Abstract: Using a thermally assisted magnetic recording head, reference signals are recorded into a magnetic recording medium; reproduction signal intensity of the reference signals is measured in a state where the thermally assisted magnetic head has been moved in the track width direction from the track width center of the track where the reference signals are recorded; a mean signal output of each sector in the track where the reference signals are recorded is calculated from the measurement results of the reproduction signal intensity of the reference signals; and the recording characteristics of a thermally assisted magnetic head are evaluated based upon the mean signal output of the sectors.

Abstract: A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) medium having improved signal-to-noise ratio capabilities includes a high-temperature exchange break layer (EBL) inserted between magnetic recording layers, where the high-temperature exchange break layer material is capable of maintaining its chemical properties at temperatures exceeding 300° C. The high-temperature EBL may include a non-metallic compound including at least one of an oxide, a carbide, and a nitride.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a HAMR device for use in a magnetic reading system. The HAMR device has a primary waveguide extending from a media facing surface to a surface opposite the media facing surface. In one embodiment, the HAMR head has a secondary waveguide having a first and second end positioned within the HAMR head. The secondary waveguide is positioned near the primary waveguide, and the first and second ends of the secondary waveguide are non-reflecting. A thermal sensor is coupled to the secondary waveguide, and responds only to optical power fluctuations in the primary waveguide. In another embodiment, the HAMR head has a second thermal sensor rather than a secondary waveguide. The first thermal sensor and the second thermal sensor are coupled together to act as one optical power sensor and are disposed on the primary waveguide.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a HAMR head. The HAMR head includes a main pole, a waveguide and a NFT disposed between the main pole and the waveguide. The NFT includes an antenna, and the antenna is made of a compound that has a composition that varies based on the location within the antenna. In one embodiment, the antenna has a surface at a media facing surface (MFS) and the surface has an apex, and the composition of the compound varies from the apex in a direction away from the apex. The apex has the highest temperature during the operation of the HAMR head, and having a composition that is thermally stable at the apex helps achieve higher reliability.

Abstract: There is disclosed a hard disk drive and a method of controlling a flying height of a magnetic head of the hard disk drive. A method of controlling a flying height of the magnetic head in a hard disk drive according to an embodiment of the present invention may include (a) providing a FOD sensitivity through a FOD test; (b) reading a preamble signal of a servo pattern; (c) calculating a flying height of the magnetic head from the preamble signal; and (d) applying FOD power for adapting the flying height of the magnetic head to a target flying height of the magnetic head based on the calculated flying height of the magnetic head and the FOD sensitivity.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a magnetic adjustment lens positioned at the electron beam path between the electron source and sample, the magnetic adjustment lens excited by an electric coil, and a permanent magnet lens positioned below the magnetic adjustment lens to focus the electron beam onto the sample surface, the permanent magnet lens excited by one or more permanent ring magnets enclosed except on a bottom surface by a magnetic field conductor. The magnetic adjustment lens may be excited to eliminate magnetic field leakage of the permanent magnet lens.

Abstract: A data writer is described comprising: a memory to store at least one amount of source data that is to be written to a data storage medium; a processor to arrange the source data into subsets and generate ECC data in respect of each subset, wherein the source data and the associated ECC data are to be written to a data storage medium via a plurality of individual data channels, and wherein the ECC data comprises at least a first degree of ECC protection having a first level of redundancy in respect of a first subset and a second degree of ECC protection having a second level of redundancy in respect of a second subset; a plurality of data writing elements, each to write data from an associated data channel, concurrently with the writing by the other data writing elements of data from respective data channels, to a data storage medium; and a controller, to control the writing by the data writing elements of the source data and the associated ECC data to the data storage medium.

Abstract: A microwave-assisted magnetic head provides a high-reliability microwave-assisted magnetic head that reduces effective coercivity by giving microwave energy to a magnetic recording medium in an auxiliary manner and writes a data signal, a head gimbal assembly, and a magnetic recording and reproducing apparatus. A microwave magnetic field generating element is arranged on a trailing shield side or a reproducing head element side with respect to a main magnetic pole that generates a recording magnetic field for writing a data signal into a magnetic recording medium, the microwave magnetic field generating element having a coil configuration in which a plurality of microwave magnetic field generating lines and a return line are formed by a continuous single line.

Abstract: A heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) write transducer has an air-bearing surface (ABS) configured to reside in proximity to a media during use and is coupled with a laser that provides energy. The HAMR transducer includes a main pole, at least one additional pole adjacent to the main pole in a down track direction, a waveguide and at least one coil for energizing the main pole. The main pole is configured to write to a region of the media and is recessed from the ABS by a first distance. The additional pole(s) are recessed from the ABS by a second distance greater than the first distance. The waveguide is optically coupled with the laser and directs a portion of the energy toward the ABS at an acute angle from the ABS. A portion of the waveguide resides between the additional pole(s) and the ABS.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system includes a magnetic head having a write portion having a main pole, a near field transducer comprising a conductive metal film having outer regions extending from an active region, and an optical waveguide for illumination of the near field transducer, wherein the conductive metal film extends in a cross track direction for a width at least 200% greater than a width of the active region of the conductive metal film, wherein a portion of the main pole extends along the conductive metal film in a cross track direction for a width at least 200% greater than the width of the active region of the conductive metal film.

Abstract: A magnetic recording apparatus includes a write element and an optical device for heating a portion of a magnetic medium. The optical device and the write element are arranged to generally prevent the write element from affecting the optical fields generated by the optical device.

Abstract: An integrated optical structure includes at least one optical isolator, having a magneto-optical layer, associated with at least one SOA optical amplifier having a waveguide having an n-doped semiconductor layer, a p-doped semiconductor layer, and an active area disposed between the n-doped semiconductor layer and the p-doped semiconductor layer. The optical isolator is disposed between an SOI base and the SOA optical amplifier's waveguide. The optical isolator's magneto-optical layer is disposed between a lower insulating layer and an upper insulating layer. The optical isolator's magneto-optical layer may be a layer of ferromagnetic metallic material, such as a Fe—Co metallic alloy, or a magnetic oxide layer. An optical device includes at least one integrated optical structure.

Abstract: A current-perpendicular-to-plane magnetoresistive read sensor includes a stack of layers extending along a stacking direction, and an edge surface parallel to the stacking direction that forms at least part of a bearing surface of the read sensor, the bearing surface designed to face a recording medium. The stack of layers includes a first contact layer, a ferromagnetic free layer whose magnetic orientation varies according to an applied magnetic field, above the first contact layer, a non-magnetic layer above the ferromagnetic layer, a ferromagnetic spin injection layer above the non-magnetic layer, and a second contact layer above the spin injection layer, such that a current can flow between the second contact layer and the first contact layer along a current-perpendicular-to-plane direction, parallel to the stacking direction. The stack of layers further includes a series of structures extending along a direction parallel to the bearing surface and perpendicular to the stacking direction.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an input region having a high-refractive-index material and an input surface configured to receive light emitted from a laser. An output surface of the apparatus is configured to deliver energy to a recording medium. The apparatus includes a plasmonic waveguide having a first elongated portion at an angle to the input surface and configured to receive the light through the input region. In response to receiving the light, surface plasmons are excited and guided to an end of the first elongated portion. The plasmonic waveguide includes a second elongated portion coupled to the end of the first elongated portion and configured to guide the surface plasmons to the output surface.

Abstract: In one general embodiment, an apparatus includes a write pole, a near field transducer, a waveguide for delivering light to the near field transducer, and a first heating device positioned between the write pole and at least one of the waveguide and the near field transducer.