Abstract: A method and apparatus provide for determining a temperature at a junction of a laser diode when the laser diode is operated in a lasing state that facilitates heat-assisted magnetic recording, comparing the junction temperature and an injection current supplied during the lasing state to stored combinations of junction temperature and injection current, and determining a likelihood of mode hopping occurring for the laser diode during the lasing state based on the comparison to stored combinations of junction temperature and injection current.

Abstract: A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) head has a slider with a gas-bearing-surface (GBS). The slider supports a near-field transducer (NFT) with an output tip at the GBS and a main magnetic pole that has a recess in the NFT-facing surface that contains plasmonic material. The plasmonic recess has a front edge at the GBS that has a cross-track width equal to or less than the cross-track width of the widest portion of the NFT output tip, and a back edge recessed from the GBS. A thermal shunt is located between the NFT and the main pole to allow heat to be transferred away from the optical spot generated by the NFT output tip, and is in contact with a region of the plasmonic recess near the back edge.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a substrate. A laser is deposited above the substrate. The laser includes one or more non-self-supporting layers of crystalline material. The laser has a length along a light path in a range of about 40 um to about 350 um. An optical input coupler is configured to receive light from the laser. A waveguide is deposited proximate the optical input coupler. The waveguide is configured to communicate light from the laser via the optical input coupler to a near-field transducer that directs energy resulting from plasmonic excitation to a recording medium.

Abstract: A thermally assisted magnetic head includes a slider, the slider includes a slider substrate and a magnetic head part. The magnetic head part includes a recording head, a reading head, a near field transducer and a medium-opposing surface. The medium-opposing surface includes a recording area and a reading area. The magnetic head part includes a record/read separately protective structure which a stabilized protective film is formed on the recording area and a reading head protective film is formed on the reading area. The stabilized protective film includes a three-layers structure which a seed layer and a double protective layer are laminated. The double protective layer includes a YSZ protective layer and a hard protective layer. The reading head protective film includes a thickness which is thinner than the stabilized protective film.

Abstract: Aspects of the present disclosure provide a heat assisted magnetic recording HAMR media structure and methods for reducing the Curie temperature distribution to improve the signal-to-noise characteristics of HAMR media. A magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, a heat sink layer on the substrate, and a magnetic recording layer on the heat sink layer. The magnetic recording layer includes a plurality of magnetic recording grains configured for recording and comprising a first magnetic alloy. The magnetic recording layer further includes a plurality of segregants disposed to isolate the plurality of magnetic recording grains and comprising a second magnetic alloy. A Curie temperature of the second magnetic alloy is higher than a Curie temperature of the first magnetic alloy.

Abstract: A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) device is configured to write regions of neutral polarity on a magnetic media during a same pass of the recording head in which other regions are written of positive polarity and negative polarity. The various disclosed write techniques may facilitate creation of “zero state” (substantially net zero polarity) transition zones between each pair of data bits of opposite polarity and/or may facilitate the encoding of three different logical states (e.g., 1, 0, and ?1) on the media.

Abstract: A thermally assisted magnetic head includes a slider, the slider includes a slider substrate and a magnetic head part. The magnetic head part includes a recording head, a reading head, a near field transducer and a medium-opposing surface. The medium-opposing surface includes a recording area and a reading area. The magnetic head part includes a record/read separately protective structure which an enhanced protective film is formed on the recording area and a reading head protective film is formed on the reading area. The enhanced protective film includes a plurality of films for effectively protecting the recording head and the near field transducer. The reading head protective film includes a thickness which is thinner than the enhanced protective film.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a medium facing surface, a main pole, a waveguide, and a plasmon generator. A second metal layer of the plasmon generator includes a second front end facing the medium facing surface. A third metal layer of the plasmon generator includes a narrow portion located on the second metal layer. The narrow portion includes a front end face located in the medium facing surface and configured to generate near-field light from a surface plasmon, and a rear end opposite the front end face. The rear end is located farther from the medium facing surface than is the second front end.

Abstract: A recording head for writing data on tracks of a data storage medium is provided. The recording head includes a writer having a write pole and a trailing shield. The write pole includes a pole tip configured to write on the tracks of the data storage medium. The recording head also includes first and second writing-assistance wires positioned between the pole tip and the trailing shield in a down-track direction to enable a writing-assistance current to be provided to produce an assist magnetic field that augments a write field produced by the write pole.

Abstract: A display device includes a display panel that is bent with respect to a bending area. A coating layer is disposed below the display panel and may include a resin. A portion of the coating layer, which is adjacent to the bending area, may have a thickness that gradually decreases in a direction toward the bending area.

Abstract: A recording head for writing data on tracks of a data storage medium is provided. The recording head includes a writer having a write pole and a trailing shield. The write pole includes a pole tip configured to write on the tracks of the data storage medium. The recording head also includes first and second writing-assistance wires positioned between the pole tip and the trailing shield in a down-track direction to enable a writing-assistance current to be provided to produce an assist magnetic field that augments a write field produced by the write pole.

Abstract: A device including a near field transducer, the near field transducer including a near field transducer, the near field transducer comprising a copper (Cu) alloy of the formula Cu1?zXz, where z ranges from 0.001 to 0.9 and X is selected from aluminum (Al), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), erbium (Er), iron (Fe), gold (Au), hafnium (Hf), iridium (Ir), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), rhenium (Re), rhodium (Rh), ruthenium (Ru), silicon (Si), tin (Sn), tantalum (Ta), tellurium (Te), titanium (Ti), tungsten (W), yttrium (Y), zinc (Zn), zirconium (Zr), or combinations thereof.

Abstract: A stack comprises a substrate, a magnetic recording layer, and a negative thermal expansion layer disposed between the substrate and the magnetic recording layer. The negative thermal expansion layer is configured to reduce thermal profile changes of a surface of the stack opposite the substrate during a heat assisted magnetic recording write operation.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a substrate and a reader deposited on the substrate. A laser is formed on a non-self supporting structure and bonded to the substrate. A plurality of heat sink layers are deposited between the reader and the laser and configured to provide thermal coupling between the substrate and the laser and sink heat away from the laser. A waveguide is deposited proximate the laser. The waveguide is configured to communicate light from the laser to a near-field transducer that directs energy resulting from plasmonic excitation to a recording medium.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a slider configured for heat-assisted magnetic recording, the slider comprising an air bearing surface (ABS), a writer, a reader, and a plurality of electrical bond-pads. The apparatus also includes a first component situated at the ABS of the slider proximate the reader and operatively coupled to a first pair of the plurality of electrical bond-pads, the first component being a thermocouple configured to sense for a thermal aspect of a magnetic recording medium surface. According to aspects of the invention, the slider is configured to share at least one bond-pad by operatively coupling a second pair of the plurality of electrical bond-pads to a second component, and the slider is configured to selectively utilize the thermocouple and the second component.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium includes: a substrate; a first underlayer; a second underlayer; and a magnetic layer including an alloy having a L10 type crystal structure with a (001) orientation. The substrate, the first underlayer the second underlayer, and the magnetic layer are stacked in this order. The first underlayer is a crystalline layer that includes W as a main component. The second underlayer is a crystalline layer that includes a material containing W as a main component and that includes an oxide. The content of the oxide in the second underlayer is in a range of from 2 mol % to 30 mol %. The oxide is an oxide of one or more kinds of elements selected from a group consisting of Cr, Mo, Nb, Ta, V, and W.

Abstract: A light source-unit which is used for a thermally assisted magnetic head, comprises a laser diode and a sub-mount which the laser diode is joined. The sub-mount comprises a joint-surface which the laser diode is joined and a convex part protruding from the joint-surface. The light source-unit comprises an alloy layer, made of alloy, which is formed between the surface of the convex part and an opposing-surface, of the laser diode, opposing to the joint-surface.

Abstract: Devices that have an air bearing surface (ABS), the device includes 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 that includes gold or an alloy thereof and the peg includes a peg material, wherein the disc material is different from the peg material and wherein the peg material has a real part of the permittivity that is not greater than that of gold.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a slider having an air bearing surface (ABS), a leading edge, and a trailing edge opposing the leading edge. A writer having a write pole is situated at or near the ABS. A near-field transducer (NFT) is situated at or near the ABS and between the write pole and the leading edge of the slider. An optical waveguide is configured to couple light from a laser source to the NFT. A contact sensor is situated between the write pole and the trailing edge. The contact sensor comprises a first ABS section situated at or near the ABS, a second ABS section situated at or near the ABS and spaced apart from the first ABS in a cross-track direction by a gap, and a distal section extending away from the ABS and connecting the first ABS section with the second ABS section.

Abstract: A recording head includes a waveguide configured to deliver light from a light source to a media-facing surface of the recording head. A near-field transducer is at the media-facing surface the proximate the waveguide. The near-field transducer includes a plasmonic structure with at least two opposing internal surfaces. A dielectric material fills a region between the at least two opposing internal surfaces. A dielectric slit extends between the at least two opposing internal surfaces. The dielectric slit is substantially parallel to the media-facing surface and includes a transparent material with a refractive index different than that of the dielectric material.

Abstract: A slider having an air bearing surface is configured for heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR). The slider comprises a write pole, a near-field transducer (NFT) proximate the write pole, a return pole magnetically coupled to the write pole, and an optical waveguide configured to receive light from a light source and couple the light to the NFT. The optical waveguide comprises first and second opposing major surfaces and opposing first and second edges connected to the first and second major surfaces. An optically opaque overlay is disposed on one or both of the first and second major surfaces of the optical waveguide. The optically opaque overlay can be light reflective or light absorbing.

Abstract: Waveguides that include a top cladding layer; a bottom cladding layer; and a core layer positioned between the top cladding layer and the bottom cladding layer, the core layer including a material having a refractive index of not less than 2.1, for example amorphous hydrogenated silicon carbide (SiC:H), or bismuth titanate. Methods of forming core layers of waveguides are also disclosed.

Abstract: A magnetic device including a magnetic writer; and an overcoat positioned over at least the magnetic writer, the overcoat including oxides of yttrium, oxides of scandium, oxides of lanthanoids, oxides of actionoids, oxides of zinc, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: Light is directed from a light source at a coupling surface of a slider into a delivery waveguide of the slider. The delivery waveguide couples a first portion of the light into a near-field transducer at a media-facing surface. A second portion of the light is coupled into a splitter waveguide. The second portion of light is detected to perform an active alignment of the light source on the slider.

Abstract: A method including depositing a plasmonic material at a temperature of at least 150° C.; and forming at least a peg of a near field transducer (NFT) from the deposited plasmonic material.

Abstract: A waveguide has a first cladding layer surrounding a near-field transducer. A core of the waveguide is disposed on the first cladding layer, and a second cladding layer is disposed on the core opposite the first cladding layer. A coupler is formed of a second plasmonic material and disposed in the waveguide such that a first edge of the coupler is proximate a media-facing surface and a first side of the coupler faces and is spaced apart from a peg of the near-field transducer in a downtrack direction.

Abstract: A recording head has a near-field transducer at a media-facing surface of the recording head and a write pole on a first side of the near field transducer. A first coil induces a first flux in the write pole. The recording head includes a shield on a second side of the near-field transducer that faces away from the first side. A second coil is proximate the shield and induces a second flux in the shield that controls a field angle of the first flux.

Abstract: Devices that have an air bearing surface (ABS), the device includes 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 that includes gold or an alloy thereof and the peg includes a peg material, wherein the disc material is different from the peg material and wherein the peg material has a real part of the permittivity that is not greater than that of gold.

Abstract: This thin film magnetic head includes a magnetic pole including an end surface exposed on an air bearing surface, and a contact detection section including a magnetic material layer provided near the air bearing surface, and a magnetic-domain stabilizing structure stabilizing a magnetic domain structure of the magnetic material layer.

Abstract: Devices having an air bearing surfaces (ABS), the devices including a near field transducer (NFT) that includes a disc having a front edge; a peg, the peg having a front surface at the air bearing surface of the apparatus, an opposing back surface, a top surface that extends from the front surface to the back surface, two side surfaces that expend from the front surface to the back surface and a bottom surface that extends from the front surface to the back surface; and a barrier layer, the barrier layer separating at least the back surface of the peg from the disc and the barrier layer having a thickness from 10 nm to 50 nm.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a heat-assisted magnetic recording drive which includes an enclosure having a base and a cover. The drive includes a magnetic recording disk and a head gimbal assembly proximate one of the base and the cover. The HGA supports a slider assembly comprising a laser diode unit. The LDU projects away from the HGA towards one of the base and the cover. An arcuate channel is provided in one of the base and the cover and dimensioned to receive a distal portion of the LDU. The channel has a length that accommodates the distal portion of the LDU along a stroke of the HGA.

Abstract: A plasmon generator includes: a first portion formed of a first metal material and including a front end face configured to generate near-field light; a second portion formed of a second metal material and located at a distance from the front end face; and a heat sink layer formed of a third metal material, located at a distance from the front end face and interposed between the first portion and the second portion. The second metal material is lower in Vickers hardness and higher in thermal conductivity than the first metal material. The third metal material has a thermal conductivity higher than that of each of the first and second metal materials, and has a Vickers hardness lower than that of the first metal material and higher than that of the second metal material.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a slider having a trailing edge and a leading edge. A laser diode unit comprises a submount and a laser diode mounted to the submount. The submount includes a mounting surface affixed to a first surface of the slider at the trailing edge such that a first surface of the submount faces toward the leading edge of the slider. A thermally conductive material covers the first surface of the submount and at least a portion of the first surface of the slider. The thermally conductive material serves as a thermal conduction pathway between the submount and the slider.

Abstract: Devices having air bearing surfaces (ABS), the devices include a near field transducer (NFT) that includes a disc; a peg, the peg including gold (Au), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), or combinations thereof; and the peg having a front surface at the air bearing surface of the device, an opposing back surface, a top surface that extends from the front surface to the back surface, two side surfaces that extend from the front surface to the back surface and a bottom surface that extends from the front surface to the back surface; and a protective layer disposed on at least one surface of the peg, the protective layer comprising an oxide of a metal that has a higher oxidation tendency than that of the material of the peg.

Abstract: A system, according to one embodiment, includes 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 systems and methods are described in additional embodiments.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head includes a main pole, a plasmon generator, and first and second side shields. The main pole has a front end face located in the medium facing surface. The plasmon generator has a near-field light generating surface located in the medium facing surface. The front end face of the main pole includes a first end face portion, and a second end face portion greater in width than the first end face portion. The first and second side shields have first and second side shield end faces located on opposite sides of at least part of the near-field light generating surface and at least part of the first end face portion in the track width direction.

Abstract: A plasmon generator includes a main body, and a front protrusion protruding from the main body. The front protrusion has a proximal portion which is a boundary with the main body, and a near-field light generating surface located in the medium facing surface of a magnetic head. The main body has a first inclined surface and a second inclined surface each facing toward the medium facing surface. The first inclined surface and the second inclined surface are at a distance from each other and aligned in the track width direction. The proximal portion of the front protrusion is located between the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface.

Abstract: A thermally assisted magnetic recording head is disclosed with a light delivery waveguide circuit wherein a middle section of the primary waveguide (WG) has a curved portion. In one embodiment, the curved portion connects to a front WG section at the air bearing surface (ABS) and is offset in a cross-track direction from the laser diode to prevent stray light from heating metal parts proximate to the front section and undesirable writer protrusion. Optionally, a reflective blocker is inserted between the WG spot size converter and ABS. In a second embodiment, the laser diode, spot size converter, and front WG section are all aligned along a center slider plane. The curved portion has at least one 180° bend to bend light around the blocker that is between the spot size converter and WG front section. The blocker is tilted to prevent reflected light from returning to the laser diode.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a magnetic write head including a media facing surface and a surface opposite the media facing surface. The magnetic write head further includes a reflector extending from the surface opposite the media facing surface toward the media facing surface. A semiconductor laser diode gain region protrudes out of the surface opposite the media facing surface, and the reflector helps optimizing the optical energy generated in the semiconductor laser diode gain region to be a single mode over a large current and temperature range.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a write pole proximate a media-facing surface of a recording head. A near-field transducer is adjacent to the write pole. A waveguide has a core layer extending from an energy source to the media-facing surface. The core layer includes a region of reduced downtrack thickness proximate the near-field transducer. The region of reduced downtrack thickness is defined by a notch facing away from the near-field transducer. A material of the notch has a different index of refraction than an index of refraction of the core layer.

Abstract: A magnetic recording medium includes a substrate, a magnetic layer including an alloy having a L10 type crystal structure as a main component thereof, and a plurality of underlayers arranged between the substrate and the magnetic layer. The plurality of underlayers include a first underlayer including two or more elements selected from a group consisting of Ta, Nb, Ti, and V, and one or more elements selected from a group consisting of W and Mo, and a second underlayer including MgO.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a spindle to rotate a magnetic recording medium and a magnetic field generator to expose a track of the medium to a DC magnetic field. The magnetic field generator is configured to saturate the track during an erase mode and reverse the DC magnetic field impinging the track during a writing mode. A laser arrangement heats the track during the erase mode and, during the writing mode, heats the track while the track is exposed to the reversed DC magnetic field so as to write a magnetic pattern thereon. A reader reads the magnetic pattern and generates a read signal. A processor is coupled to the reader and configured to measure one or more magnetic properties of the track using the read signal. The apparatus can further comprise a Kerr sensor that generates a Kerr signal using the magnetic pattern.

Abstract: The embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a magnetic head having a magnetic lip. The vertical sides and the bottom of the magnetic lip are covered by one or more conductive layers. In one embodiment, the bottom of the magnetic lip is covered by a first conductive layer and the vertical sides of the magnetic lip are covered by a second conductive layer. The conductive layers are made of a material that would not react with oxygen, thus no oxide films are formed on the vertical sides and the bottom of the magnetic lip during the manufacturing of the magnetic head.

Abstract: A return path section includes a first yoke portion located on the front side in the direction of travel of a recording medium relative to a main pole and in contact with the top surface of the main pole. A coil includes a plurality of coil elements extending to pass between a core of a waveguide and the first yoke portion. The plurality of coil elements include a specific coil element. The main pole rides over the specific coil element.

Abstract: An apparatus is arranged to detect contact between an air bearing surface of a transducer and a medium using a modulated thermal sensor signal. A laser source produces modulated laser light. A thermal sensor is disposed at or near the air bearing surface and is subject to cyclic heating by the modulated laser light. The thermal sensor is configured to produce the modulated sensor signal in response to the cyclic heating.

Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a magnetic recording device including slider, a magnetic head assembly and a laser diode having a photodiode integrated therein. The photodiode and the laser diode are both fabricated on a structure. Having the integrated laser diode and photodiode reduces the cost relating to fabricating individual, discrete photodiode and assembling the individual, discrete photodiode on the magnetic recording device.

Abstract: In a heat-assisted magnetic recording head for use in a hard disk drive, a thermal shunt is positioned between an E-antenna near field transducer (NFT) and a return pole, to draw excess heat away from the NFT region. The thermal shunt comprises two portions separated by a gap that has a trapezoidal cross-section, where the NFT-side of the gap is wider than the return pole-side of the gap.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a near-field transducer at or near an air bearing surface of the apparatus. A write pole is disposed at or near the air bearing surface and proximate the near-field transducer, respectively. A thermal sensor is disposed at the air bearing surface and within a protrusion region of the air bearing surface defined relative to at least one of the near-field transducer and the write pole. The thermal sensor is configured to produce a signal indicative of a temperature at the protrusion region.

Abstract: In a heat-assisted magnetic recording hard disk drive, one or more thermally conductive features are incorporated to assist with dissipation of heat from a laser module that comprises a laser and a submount. The submount may be coupled to the slider with solder covering a wider adhesive area for enhanced conduction of heat away from the laser module and to the slider, one or both of the submount and the laser may include a surface coating that increases the thermal radiation of the corresponding component, and/or one or both of the submount and the laser may include fins configured to transfer heat from the corresponding component. Further, a HAMR HGA may be configured such that the submount is coupled directly to the suspension flexure using a thermally conductive material, for conduction of heat away from the laser module and to the flexure.

Abstract: A flex circuit including a dual sided interconnect structure to connect electrical components on a head or suspension assembly to head circuitry is described. The dual sided interconnect structure described has application for providing an electrical connection to one or more transducer elements on a slider and one or more elements of a heat assisted magnetic recording HAMR unit. In an illustrated embodiment, a flexible structure or insulating base layer includes one or more slider and heat assisted magnetic recording traces coupled to one or more slider or HAMR bond pads on an interconnect portion. As disclosed, the slider bond pads are on the obverse side of the flexible structure and the HAMR bond pads include a reverse side bonding surface to form reverse side bond pads to connect to one or more electrical or heating elements on the HAMR unit.