Waveguide with optical isolator for heat-assisted magnetic recording

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021327463-A1
Application number	US-202117362117-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 29, 2021
Priority date	Feb 21, 2018
Publication date	Oct 21, 2021
Grant date	—

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 . A method, comprising:
depositing one or more cladding layers on a substrate; depositing a waveguide having a gap portion on the one or more cladding layers; transfer printing an optical isolator over the gap portion; and depositing cladding material over the waveguide and the optical isolator.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein transfer printing the optical isolator comprises:
transfer printing a magneto-optical material over the gap portion; and transfer printing a magnet over the magneto-optical material.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising patterning the magneto-optical material after transfer printing the magneto-optical material over the gap portion.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein transfer printing the optical isolator further comprises depositing cladding material over the magneto-optical material prior to transfer printing the magnet.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing a waveguide further comprises depositing a waveguide core having at least one bend.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising transfer printing a laser formed on a non-self supporting structure on the substrate.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the laser and the optical isolator are formed on the same non-self supporting structure and transfer printed together.

8 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the magneto-optical material comprises at least one of YIG, CeYIG, Bi:YIG, TIG, and Bi:TIG.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the optical isolator is substantially the same length as the gap portion.

10 . 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 and at least one bend 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.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the optical isolator comprises a magneto-optical material.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a magnet deposited over at least a portion of the magneto optical material.

13 . The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising one or more cladding layers surrounding the waveguide and the optical isolator.

14 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the optical isolator comprises a Faraday rotator.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the Faraday rotator is configured to rotate the light about 45 degrees.

16 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the laser is configured to deliver a substantially transverse magnetic (TM) mode light to the waveguide.

17 . The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the optical isolator is configured to convert light received from the laser to a combined TM and transverse electric (TE) mode.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the waveguide comprises a mode converter configured to convert the combined TE and TM mode light to substantially TM mode light.

19 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the waveguide comprises a mode converter configured to convert the combined TE and TM mode light to substantially TE mode light.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the waveguide is configured to deliver the substantially TE mode light to the NFT.

Assignees

• Seagate Technology Llc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• G02B6/1226

  involving surface plasmon interaction · CPC title

• 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

• G02B6/12002

  Three-dimensional structures · CPC title

• G11B9/12

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