Waveguide with shaped assistant layer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9946016-B2
Application number	US-201514863117-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2015
Priority date	Sep 23, 2015
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus includes a waveguide extending along a light-propagation direction between a light source and a media-facing surface. The waveguide comprises an assistant layer configured to receive light from a light source, truncated with an intermediate bottom cladding layer. A core layer comprises a coupling end configured to receive light from the assistant layer. The coupling end comprises a taper that widens toward the media-facing surface. A near field transducer is disposed proximate the media-facing surface and is configured to receive the light from the core layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a waveguide extending along a light-propagation direction between a light source and a media-facing surface, the waveguide comprising:
an assistant layer extending along the light propagation direction and configured to receive light from a light source, the assistant layer truncated, along the light propagation direction, with an intermediate bottom cladding layer;
a core layer comprising a coupling end configured to receive light from the assistant layer, the coupling end comprising a taper that widens toward the media-facing surface; and
a near field transducer disposed proximate the media-facing surface and configured to receive the light from the core layer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the assistant layer comprises an in-plane taper.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the in-plane taper is a linear taper.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the in-plane taper is a non-linear taper.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the assistant layer comprises a termination end with a taper that narrows towards the media facing surface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the assistant layer further comprises an out of plane step.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the out-of-plane step is located near an interface between the assistant and the intermediate bottom cladding layer.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein a width of the out-of-plane step is between about 20 nm and 100 nm.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the assistant layer further comprises an out-of-plane slope from the assistant layer to the intermediate bottom cladding layer.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide further comprises top and bottom cladding layers configured to confine the light within the core layer and the assistant layer.

11. An apparatus, comprising:
a waveguide extending along a light-propagation direction between a light source and a media-facing surface, the waveguide comprising:
an assistant layer extending along the light propagation direction and configured to receive light from a light source, the assistant layer comprising an out-of-plane step and a terminating end with a first taper that narrows toward the media-facing surface, the assistant layer truncated, along the light propagation direction, with an intermediate bottom cladding layer;
a core layer comprising a coupling end configured to receive light from the assistant layer, the coupling end comprising a second taper having a first width proximate the light source and a second width away from the light source, the second width being greater than the first width; and
a near field transducer disposed proximate the media-facing surface and configured to receive the light from the core layer.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the assistant layer further comprises an in-plane taper.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the in-plane taper is a linear taper.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the in-plane taper is a non-linear taper.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the assistant layer comprises a termination end with a taper that narrows towards the media facing surface.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the assistant layer is truncated with an intermediate bottom cladding layer.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the out-of-plane step is located near an interface between the assistant and the intermediate bottom cladding layer.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein a width of the step is between about 20 nm and 100 nm.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the assistant layer further comprises an out-of-plane slope from the assistant layer to the intermediate bottom cladding layer.

20. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the waveguide further comprises top and bottom cladding layers configured to confine the light within the core layer and the assistant layer.

Assignees

• Seagate Technology Llc

Inventors

• Peng Chubing
• Asselin Pierre
• Lee Lien
• Rud Karen V

Classifications

• G11B2005/0021

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

• G02B6/1228

  Tapered waveguides, e.g. integrated spot-size transformers (for coupling with fibres G02B6/305) · CPC title

• G11B5/314 Primary

  where the layers are extra layers normally not provided in the transducing structure, e.g. optical layers (G11B5/3196 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B2006/12147

  Coupler · CPC title

• G02B2006/12092

  Stepped · CPC title