NEAR-FIELD TRANSDUCER WITH FLARE PEG

摘要

Disclosed are plasmonic near-field transducers that are useful in heat-assisted magnetic recording. The disclosed plasmonic near-field transducers have an enlarged region and a flared region. In some embodiments the disclosed plasmonic near-field transducer can also include a peg region. The flared region can act as a heat sink and can lower the thermal resistance of the peg region of the near-field transducer, thus reducing its temperature. Also disclosed are methods that include delivering light to a magnetic transducer region via a waveguide, receiving the light at a plasmonic near-field transducer having an output end and disposed in proximity to the magnetic transducer region, and delivering a surface plasmon-enhanced near-field radiation pattern proximate the output end of the plasmonic transducer in response to receiving the light,

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
a waveguide shaped to direct light to a focal point; and a plasmonic near-field transducer positioned adjacent to the focal point,wherein the near-field transducer comprises an enlarged region at an input end and a flared region that narrows towards an output end, the enlarged region having a circular cross-section and the flared region in contact with the enlarged region, wherein the plasmonic near-field transducer has a break point located on the enlarged region at a point closest to the output end of the flared region, andwherein the output end is adjacent to an air-bearing surface.