Structure positioned between magnetic pole and near-field transducer
An apparatus includes a waveguide, a magnetic pole, and a near-field transducer. The near field transducer is positioned at or near a media-facing surface. The near-field transducer is operatively coupled to the waveguide. The near-field transducer includes an enlarged region. The near-field transducer also includes a peg region extending from the enlarged region towards the media-facing surface. The peg region is separated from the magnetic pole. The near-field transducer also includes a structure positioned between the magnetic pole and the peg region. The structure is separated from the peg region by a gap. The structure extends from the enlarged region towards the media-facing surface. The structure is configured to extend generation of surface plasmons toward the magnetic pole.
1. An apparatus comprising:
a waveguide;
a magnetic pole; and
a near-field transducer positioned at or near a media-facing surface and operatively coupled to the waveguide, the near-field transducer comprising:
an enlarged region;
a peg region extending from the enlarged region towards the media-facing surface, the peg region separated from the magnetic pole; and
a structure positioned between the magnetic pole and the peg region and separated from the peg region by a gap, the structure extending from the enlarged region towards the media-facing surface and configured to extend generation of surface plasmons toward the magnetic pole.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the structure is a metallic structure.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the structure comprises one or more of Ag and Au.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the gap is filled with a dielectric material.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the structure reduces diffusion of material of the magnetic pole into the dielectric material.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the structure causes an increase in a thermal gradient in a down-track direction of a hotspot on a recording medium.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a surface of the structure facing the peg region comprises a curvature.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the structure causes near-field excitation to be concentrated near the magnetic pole.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the peg region comprises an inverse trapezoid, having a long side and a short side, the short side being substantially parallel to the long side and wherein the short side faces the magnetic pole.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a height of the peg region is about 25 nm to about 50 nm, the height measured from a peg surface facing the magnetic pole to the peg surface facing away from the magnetic pole.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the width of the peg region at a midsection of the peg region is 60 nm.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the peg region is rectangular.
13. An apparatus, comprising
a waveguide;
a magnetic pole; and
a near-field transducer positioned at or near a media-facing surface and operatively coupled to the waveguide, the near-field transducer comprising:
an enlarged region;
an inverse trapezoidal peg region extending from the enlarged region towards the media-facing surface, the peg region separated from the magnetic pole; and
a metallic structure positioned between the magnetic pole and the peg region and separated from, the peg region by a gap, the structure extending from the enlarged region towards the media-facing surface and configured to extend generation of surface plasmons toward the magnetic pole.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the inverse trapezoidal peg region comprises a long side and a short side, the short side being substantially parallel to the long side and wherein the short side faces the magnetic pole.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the gap is filled with a dielectric material, and wherein the structure reduces diffusion of a material of the magnetic pole into the dielectric material.
16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the structure causes an increase in a thermal gradient in a down-track direction of a hotspot on a recording medium.
17. A method, comprising:
focusing light propagating through a waveguide onto a near-field transducer, the near-field transducer comprising:
an enlarged region;
a peg region extending from the enlarged region towards the media-facing surface, the peg region separated from a magnetic pole; and
a structure positioned between the magnetic pole and the peg region and separated from the peg region by a gap, the structure extending from the enlarged region towards the media-facing surface; and
extending generation of surface plasmons towards the magnetic recording pole via the structure.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the peg region comprises a rectangular shape.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the peg region comprises an inverse trapezoid, having a long side and a short side, the short side being substantially parallel to the long side and wherein the short side faces the magnetic pole.