Western Digital (fremont), Inc.

Jiangrong Cao

Michael V Morelli

Brad Vaughn Johnson

Peng Zhang

Matthew R Gibbons

Hongxing Yuan

Rabee M Ikkawi

A heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) write apparatus coupled with a laser is described. The HAMR write apparatus includes a pole, coil(s), a near-field transducer (NFT), and a dielectric gap. The pole writes to the media. The coil(s) energize the pole. The waveguide is optically coupled with the laser and directs energy toward the ABS. The NFT is optically coupled with the waveguide and includes a metal nose and a metal cap. Part of the metal cap adjoins part of the main pole. The dielectric gap is between a first portion of the NFT and the main pole. The dielectric gap has a media-facing surface and back, top, bottom and side surfaces. The top surface adjoins the main pole. The bottom surface adjoins the first portion of the NFT. The side surfaces adjoin a second portion of the NFT. The back surface adjoins a portion of the metal cap.

Heat assisted magnetic recording write apparatus having a dielectric gap

An apparatus for energy assisted magnetic recording of a storage disk includes a plurality of dielectric waveguide cores configured to receive incident light energy from an energy source and direct the incident light energy to a target, and a near field transducer (NFT) formed at an air bearing surface of a magnetic recording device. The NFT is configured to focus the light energy received from the plurality of waveguide cores and to transmit the focused light energy onto the storage disk surface to generate a heating spot on the storage disk. The NFT includes a plurality of propagating surface plasmon polariton (PSPP) elements configured as plasmonic metal ridges. Each of the PSPP elements has a width approximately equivalent to the width of the heating spot and is disposed above a surface of a single waveguide core in a longitudinal alignment.

Interfering near field transducer for energy assisted magnetic recording

The present disclosure generally relates to an EAMR head having a plasmonic bulk metal plate adjacent thereto. The waveguide core has a trapezoidal shaped cross-section, when viewed from the ABS, and the plasmonic bulk metal plate is disposed adjacent the short side of the trapezoid. The plasmonic bulk metal plate reduces the temperature of the NFT.

Flat NFT for heat assisted magnetic recording

An apparatus for energy assisted magnetic recording of a storage disk includes a plurality of dielectric waveguide cores disposed near an air bearing surface of a magnetic recording device. Each waveguide core has a fine ridge feature on a first surface of the waveguide core and configured to receive incident light energy from an energy source. A near field transducer (NFT) is formed at the air bearing surface for focusing light energy received from the waveguide core and transmitting the focused light energy onto the storage disk surface to generate a heating spot. The NFT includes at least one plasmonic metal element disposed above the fine ridge features of the waveguide cores to form an interface for delivering propagating surface plasmon polaritons (PSPPs) to the air bearing surface. Each fine ridge feature is configured with a width approximately equivalent to a width of the heating spot.

Near field transducer using dielectric waveguide core with fine ridge feature

An apparatus for energy assisted magnetic recording of a storage disk include a plurality of dielectric waveguide cores configured to direct received incident light energy to a target, and a near field transducer (NFT) configured to focus light energy received from the plurality of waveguide cores and to transmit the focused light energy onto the storage disk surface to generate a heating spot on the storage disk. The NFT includes a plurality of propagating surface plasmon polariton (PSPP) elements that are energized by the light energy from the waveguide cores. Each of the PSPP elements has a plasmonic metal bar disposed above a single waveguide core in a longitudinal alignment. Each metal bar has a width at least twice the width of the heating spot generated on the storage disk.

Interfering near field transducer having a wide metal bar feature for energy assisted magnetic recording

An apparatus includes dielectric waveguide cores operating in transverse electric (TE) mode configured to receive incident light energy from an energy source and direct the incident light energy to a target. A near field transducer (NFT) is configured to focus the light energy received from the waveguide cores and to transmit the focused light energy onto a storage disk surface to generate a heating spot. The NFT includes propagating surface plasmon polariton (PSPP) elements that are energized by the light energy from the waveguide cores. Each PSPP element has a plasmonic metal bar disposed above a surface of a single waveguide core in a longitudinal alignment with the waveguide core, a first end that receives the light energy from the waveguide core, and a second end exposed to the air bearing surface. The width of each metal bar tapers toward the first end.

Near field transducer driven by a transverse electric waveguide for energy assisted magnetic recording

An HAMR NFT pin and main body structure comprising a pin material with high index of refraction and low absorption coefficient is disclosed. The disclosed NFT pin provides a comparable media absorption efficiency to the conventional Au pin while improving on overall NFT reliability. The protrusion of the NFT pin is reduced and overall life of the writer is prolonged. The main body may comprise any noble metal or metal alloy suitable for achieving optical resonance in an HAMR NFT. The cladding material may be selected such that its coefficient of thermal expansion closely matches the coefficient of thermal expansion of the pin material.

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Fremont, CA, United States of America

Jiangrong Cao