Waveguide with optical isolator for heat-assisted magnetic recording

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11069376-B1
Application number	US-202017024234-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 17, 2020
Priority date	Feb 21, 2018
Publication date	Jul 20, 2021
Grant date	Jul 20, 2021

Abstract

An apparatus includes a substrate. A laser is formed on a non-self supporting structure and bonded to the substrate. A waveguide having a gap portion is deposited proximate the laser. The waveguide is configured to communicate light from the laser to a near-field transducer (NFT) that directs energy resulting from plasmonic excitation to a recording medium. An optical isolator is disposed over the gap portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a substrate;
a laser formed on a non-self supporting structure and bonded to the substrate;
a waveguide having a gap portion deposited proximate the laser on the substrate, the waveguide configured to communicate light from the laser to a near-field transducer (NFT) that directs energy resulting from plasmonic excitation to a recording medium; and
an optical isolator integrated over the gap portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical isolator comprises a magneto-optical film.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising a magnet deposited over at least a portion of the magneto-optical film.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more cladding layers surrounding the waveguide and the optical isolator.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the optical isolator comprises a Faraday rotator.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the Faraday rotator is configured to rotate the light about 45 degrees.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the laser is configured to deliver a substantially transverse electric (TE) mode light to the waveguide.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the optical isolator is configured to convert light received from the laser to a combined TE and transverse magnetic (TM) mode.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the waveguide comprises a mode converter configured to convert the combined TE and TM mode light to substantially TM mode light.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the waveguide is configured to deliver the substantially TM mode light to the NFT.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a mode stripper, wherein TM mode light reflected into the waveguide in a direction opposite the light delivered to the NFT is prevented from reaching the laser by the optical isolator and the mode stripper.

12. An apparatus, comprising:
a substrate forming part of a slider body;
a laser formed on a non-self supporting structure and bonded to the substrate;
a waveguide deposited proximate the laser on the substrate, the waveguide having a gap portion within the slider body where the waveguide is configured to communicate light from the laser to a near-field transducer (NFT) that directs energy resulting from plasmonic excitation to a recording medium; and
an optical isolator disposed over the gap portion and integrated within the slider body.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the optical isolator comprises a magneto-optical film.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a magnet deposited over at least a portion of the magneto-optical film.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising one or more cladding layers surrounding the waveguide and the optical isolator.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the optical isolator comprises a Faraday rotator.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the Faraday rotator is configured to rotate the light about 45 degrees.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a mode stripper, wherein TM mode light reflected into the waveguide in a direction opposite the light delivered to the NFT is prevented from reaching the laser by the optical isolator and the mode stripper.

Assignees

• Seagate Technology Llc

Inventors

• Mcgurk John Bernard
• Mehfuz Reyad
• Harvey Christopher Neil
• Goggin Aidan Dominic

Classifications

• G11B2005/0021

  Thermally assisted recording using an auxiliary energy source for heating the recording layer locally to assist the magnetization reversal · CPC title

• G11B13/045

  combined recording by magnetic and optic means · CPC title

• G11B9/12

  using near-field interactions; Record carriers therefor · CPC title

• G11B5/6088

  Optical waveguide in or on flying head · CPC title

• G11B5/4866 Primary

  the arm comprising an optical waveguide, e.g. for thermally-assisted recording · CPC title