Heat-assisted magnetic recording head near-field transducer with a plasmonic disk

1. A heat-assisted magnetic recording head comprising a near-field transducer comprising:

a near-field emitter configured to heat a surface of a magnetic disk; and

a plasmonic disk coupled to the near-field emitter and comprising at least one of rhodium or iridium,

wherein the plasmonic disk and the near-field emitter are coupled to each other at an interface which is substantially orthogonal to an air-bearing surface of the heat-assisted magnetic recording head,

wherein the interface comprises a surface of the plasmonic disk and a surface of the near-field emitter, and

wherein the surface of the plasmonic disk comprises rhodium, iridium, and/or an alloy comprising rhodium, iridium, gold, silver, copper, and/or aluminum.

2. The heat-assisted magnetic recording head of claim 1 comprising a waveguide,

wherein the surface of the plasmonic disk is a first surface,

wherein the plasmonic disk and the waveguide are coupled to each other at an interface which is substantially orthogonal to the air-bearing surface, and

wherein the interface comprises a surface of the waveguide and a second surface of the plasmonic disk.

3. The heat-assisted magnetic recording head of claim 2 , wherein the second surface of the plasmonic disk comprises rhodium, iridium, and/or an alloy comprising rhodium, iridium, gold, silver, copper, and/or aluminum.

4. The heat-assisted magnetic recording head of claim 1 ,

wherein the near-field emitter comprises:

a disk; and

a peg,

wherein the plasmonic disk and the near-field emitter are coupled to each other at an interface which is substantially orthogonal to an air-bearing surface of the heat-assisted magnetic recording head, and

wherein the interface comprises a surface of the plasmonic disk and a surface the peg of the near-field emitter.

5. The heat-assisted magnetic recording head of claim 4 , wherein the surface of the plasmonic disk comprises at least one of rhodium or iridium.

6. The heat-assisted magnetic recording head of claim 4 , wherein the near-field emitter is a single feature, with the peg and the disk being two regions of a continuous piece.

7. The heat-assisted magnetic recording head of claim 4 , wherein the disk and the peg are separate, discrete features separated by a defined interface.

8. The heat-assisted magnetic recording head of claim 1 ,

wherein the near-field transducer further comprises a middle disk,

wherein the middle disk and the near-field emitter are coupled to each other at an interface which is substantially orthogonal to an air-bearing surface of the heat-assisted magnetic recording head, and

wherein the interface comprises a surface of the near-field emitter and a surface of the middle disk.

9. The heat-assisted magnetic recording head of claim 8 ,

wherein the surface of the middle disk is a first surface,

wherein the interface is a first interface,

wherein the near-field transducer further comprises a heat sink,

wherein the heat sink and the middle disk are coupled to each other at a second interface which is substantially orthogonal to the air-bearing surface, and

wherein the second interface comprises a second surface of the middle disk and a surface of the heat sink.

10. A heat-assisted magnetic recording head comprising a near-field transducer comprising:

a near-field emitter configured to heat a surface of a magnetic disk; and

a plasmonic disk coupled to the near-field emitter,

wherein the plasmonic disk comprises:

a plasmonic region comprising a plasmonic material; and

a thermal region comprising a material that is different from the plasmonic material,

wherein the plasmonic region and the thermal region are coupled to each other and provided in a layered configuration,

the layered configuration oriented along an axis which is substantially parallel to an air-bearing surface of the heat-assisted magnetic recording head.

11. The heat-assisted magnetic recording head of claim 10 , wherein the plasmonic material comprises gold, silver, ruthenium, copper, aluminum, or combinations thereof.

12. The heat-assisted magnetic recording head of claim 10 , wherein the material of the thermal region comprises at least one of rhodium, iridium, or an alloy comprising rhodium, iridium, gold, silver, copper, and/or aluminum.

13. The heat-assisted magnetic recording head of claim 10 ,

wherein the plasmonic region and the thermal region are coupled to each other at an interface which is substantially orthogonal to an air-bearing surface of the heat-assisted magnetic recording head, and

wherein the interface comprises:

a surface of the plasmonic region; and

a surface of the thermal region.

14. The heat-assisted magnetic recording head of claim 13 comprising a waveguide,

wherein the surface of the plasmonic region is a first surface of the plasmonic region,

wherein the surface of the thermal region is a first surface of the thermal region,

wherein a second surface of the plasmonic region is coupled to a surface of the waveguide, and

wherein a second surface of the thermal region is coupled to a surface of the near-field emitter.

15. The heat-assisted magnetic recording head of claim 10 comprising a waveguide,

wherein the plasmonic disk and the waveguide are coupled to each other at an interface which is substantially orthogonal to an air-bearing surface, and

wherein the interface comprises a surface of the waveguide and a surface of the plasmonic disk, and

wherein the surface of the plasmonic disk is a surface of the plasmonic region.

16. The heat-assisted magnetic recording head of claim 15 , wherein the surface of the plasmonic region comprises gold, silver, ruthenium, copper, aluminum, or combinations thereof.

17. A heat-assisted magnetic recording head comprising a near-field transducer comprising:

a near-field emitter configured to heat a surface of a magnetic disk; and

a plasmonic disk coupled to the near-field emitter,

wherein the plasmonic disk comprises:

a plasmonic region comprising a plasmonic material; and

a thermal region comprising a material that is different from the plasmonic material,

wherein the thermal region is a protrusion from a surface of the near-field emitter, the protrusion comprising an outer surface that encloses a volume of the thermal region.

18. The heat-assisted magnetic recording head of claim 17 ,

wherein the plasmonic region comprises:

an inner surface; and

an outer surface opposite the inner surface,

wherein the plasmonic region and the thermal region are coupled to each other at an interface, and

wherein the interface comprises:

the inner surface of the plasmonic region; and

the outer surface of the thermal region.

19. The heat-assisted magnetic recording head of claim 17 , wherein the plasmonic material comprises gold, silver, ruthenium, copper, aluminum, or combinations thereof.

20. The heat-assisted magnetic recording head of claim 17 , wherein the material of the thermal region comprises at least one of rhodium, iridium, or an alloy comprising rhodium, iridium, gold, silver, copper, and/or aluminum.