Seagate Technology Incorporated

Patrick Carl Fletcher

Jon David Trantham

John Charles Duda

James Dillon Kiely

Andrei Dorobantu

Declan Macken

Michael Thomas Johnson

Steven Douglas Granz

Peng Peng

Manuel Charles Anaya-Dufresne

Song Chen

An apparatus comprises a light source configured to generate light, and a modulator coupled to the light source and configured to modulate the light above a predetermined frequency. A slider is configured for heat-assisted magnetic recording and to receive the modulated light. A resistive sensor is integral to the slider and subject to heating by absorption of electromagnetic radiation and conduction of heat. Measuring circuitry is coupled to the resistive sensor and configured to measure a response of the resistive sensor due to absorbed electromagnetic radiation and not from the heat conduction. The measuring circuitry may further be configured to determine output optical power of the light source using the measured resistive sensor response.

Laser power monitoring in a heat-assisted magnetic recording device using a resistive sensor and high-frequency laser modulation

A slider is configured for heat-assisted magnetic recording and comprises an NFT and a transparent thermocouple configured to produce a signal indicative of temperature at the NFT. A detector can be coupled to the thermocouple and configured to detect one or both of spacing changes and contact between the slider and a magnetic recording medium.

Transparent thermocouple for heat-assisted magnetic recording device

An apparatus comprises a thermal sensor configured to interact with a magnetic recording disk. A head-disk interface is defined between the thermal sensor and the disk. A power supply is coupled to the thermal sensor and configured to supply a bias power to the thermal sensor between a low power and a high power. A processor is coupled to the thermal sensor and configured to determine a slope of a resistance response of the thermal sensor. The processor is further configured to detect a change in the slope relative to a baseline slope. The slope change indicates increased heat sinking between the thermal sensor and the disk due to the presence of contaminant buildup at the head-disk interface.

Magnetic recording device capable of detecting contamination buildup at a head-disk interface

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Minnetonka, MN, United States of America

Patrick Carl Fletcher